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A review by alyssa_hollingsworth
Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl by John Putnam Demos
3.0
First of all, thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!
I have mixed feelings about Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl--and I think it comes down to whether this is a novel or a work of creative non-fiction. When I picked it up, I was excited by the idea of another story along the lines of Indian Captive, which I loved as a girl. Strong characters, compelling plot, intriguing world. But this isn't that.
This book reads more like a historical summary of the characters, and never approaches close POV. I read in the author's note that he is a historian and was inspired by research, and that this is his first attempt at a children's book. I think that shows pretty clearly.
So, this book is a good read if you are mostly just after a quick, distant look at the main story. It had a lot of great details about life in a Mohawk village and issues happening during the time period. I personally found the story interesting because of its information, but only read for the information--I was not compelled by the characters, because we were in such a distant third person it read more like a history book than a story. If I were not a naturally curious and stubborn adult type, I probably wouldn't have finished this.
Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl is excellent if you're after general history and the basics of a good story. But if you want something more engrossing and character-driven, I'd recommend picking up Indian Captive instead.
I have mixed feelings about Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl--and I think it comes down to whether this is a novel or a work of creative non-fiction. When I picked it up, I was excited by the idea of another story along the lines of Indian Captive, which I loved as a girl. Strong characters, compelling plot, intriguing world. But this isn't that.
This book reads more like a historical summary of the characters, and never approaches close POV. I read in the author's note that he is a historian and was inspired by research, and that this is his first attempt at a children's book. I think that shows pretty clearly.
So, this book is a good read if you are mostly just after a quick, distant look at the main story. It had a lot of great details about life in a Mohawk village and issues happening during the time period. I personally found the story interesting because of its information, but only read for the information--I was not compelled by the characters, because we were in such a distant third person it read more like a history book than a story. If I were not a naturally curious and stubborn adult type, I probably wouldn't have finished this.
Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl is excellent if you're after general history and the basics of a good story. But if you want something more engrossing and character-driven, I'd recommend picking up Indian Captive instead.