Pocahontas [Paperback]

Joseph Bruchac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005

In 1607, when John Smith and his "Coatmen" arrive in Powhatan to begin settling the colony of Virginia, their relations with the village's inhabitants are anything but warm. Pocahontas, the beloved daughter of the Powhatan chief, is just eleven, but this astute young girl plays a fateful, peaceful role in the destinies of two peoples.

Drawing from the personal journals of John Smith, American Book Award winner Joseph Bruchac reveals an important chapter of history through the eyes of two legendary figures.

Includes an afterword, a glossary, and other historical context.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 6-12. This vivid, detailed historical novel chronicles the relationship between Virginia colonists and the Powhatans as seen through the perspectives of Captain John Smith and 11-year-old Pocahontas, daughter of the Powhatan chief. As in Sacajawea (2002), Bruchac successfully uses alternating chapters in which different characters--in this case, Pocahontas and Smith--describe the same situations. This technique enables readers to see the distinctly divergent worldviews. Smith's perspectives are prefaced with excerpts from the captain's own writings or from other sources of the period. Heading Pocahontas' accounts are stories told in the tradition of the Powhatans' Algonquin-rooted culture. In an afterword, Bruchac explains what eventually became of his narrators. The author goes to great lengths to present a historically accurate depiction (which may account for the nonfiction cataloging, 975.5), and he succeeds admirably, exposing the many myths and misconceptions made popular by Disney and others. Glossaries of terms used in the novel, source notes, and a bibliography are appended. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Both characters come to life instantly, and the daily accounts are rich with details of everyday life . . . A first choice for those interested in exploring the topic."--Kirkus Reviews

"Brings an authentic voice to a greatly mythologized and misunderstood Native American historical figure."--School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 173 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152054650
• ISBN-13: 978-0152054656
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( B ) > Bruchac, Joseph
  • #49 in Books > Teens > Biographies

More About the Author

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed Abenaki children's book author, poet, novelist and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. Coauthor with Michael Caduto of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series, Bruchac's poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored more than 50 books for adults and children. For more information about Joseph, please visit his website www.josephbruchac.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True story of Pocahontas, September 16, 2004

By 

Marsha Lytle (Olathe, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pocahontas (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book and it has inspired me to do more research on the early days of Virginia. I liked the alternating tales of the eleven year old Pocahontas, and the woeful John Smith, who was somewhat of an egomaniac if one is to believe the author, who took the story from Smith's own diaries.

It, of course, dispells all the romantic fantasies of Pocahontas saving Smith's life. In fact, she married John Rolfe, not Smith.

For all his complaining about being mistreated for his lack of family connections, John Smith probably was the hero he portrays himself to be. Otherwise it seems Jamestown would have failed miserably.

Some of the most interesting details involve the infighting, which at times turns deadly, the treason, selfishness, and other human faults and frailties revealed in Smith's accounts.

Readers will also enjoy the story of the eleven year old Pocahontas, and the "royal" lifestyle she enjoys as her father's favorite daughter.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Difficult Read, October 5, 2011

By 

C. Woods (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pocahontas (Paperback)

I do not recommend this for 12 yr old. Hard to read, to say the least. Written from John Smith's point of view. This book tells the story as if John Smith were talking in the 1600's, which makes it very hard to relate to and to understand.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it, May 15, 2007

By 

E. Young (Vermont, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pocahontas (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book, particularly the way it gives you both Pocohontas' and Smith's point of view, and I thought it was really fair and insightful about both sides. The only thing about the Smith chapters I didn't like was that, in the beginning, they went off on so many tangents it was confusing. While that may have been true to character, it made it harder to read. Last, I wish the book were longer! I would have liked to read on about what happened to Pocahontas after Smith left.