| The Ransom of Mercy Carter |
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| Set in early 18th-century western Massachusetts and Canada, this is the riveting story of colonist Mercy Carter, who is transformed from a frightened hostage to a Kahnawake Indian daughter. May have been retitled Mercy for Macmillan edition but it's also possible that was a UK edition.
Teaching Guide available |
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| Awards and Recognition |
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Junior Library Guild selection
Nebraska Golden Sower Nominee 2004
New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
Oklahoma Sequoya Award Nominee
South Dakota Young Adult Reading List 2002-2003
Virginia Jefferson Cup Winner |
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| The idea behind ... The Ransom of Mercy Carter |
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| My nephew Ransom was named by family tradition: he is the direct descendent of an Indian captive taken from Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1684. The family paid a ransom to get the boy back, and then used “ransom” as a first name for boys.
I became fascinated by the many Indian captives from Deerfield, which for many years was the farthest west and the farthest north frontier settlement of New England. The Ransom of Mercy Carter is the only book I’ve ever written whose main character was a real person who chose her own fate. It was strange to write a book where I could not make up my own ending. |
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| Reviews |
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| “Gripping and thought provoking.” |
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| —Publishers Weekly |
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| “The drama of history unfolds in this gripping tale.” |
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| —School Library Journal |
