Pocahontas [Paperback]

Susan Donnell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1993

This bestseller was written by a direct descendant of Pocahontas. The daughter of great Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas lived a traditional life, mindful of nature and the land, and viewed the arrival of the English as an opportunity to learn. Through her indomitable spirit, she bridged the gap between her world and the colonists.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Weighted down by ponderous prose and trite romantic elements, this first novel by a woman who claims to be a direct descendant of Pocahontas presents an uninspired version of the life of the legendary Indian princess who was instrumental to the survival of the 17th-century English settlement at Jamestown, Va., who was an early convert to Christianity, explored and adopted an entirely new culture, had two husbands (one Native American, one English) and yet lived only to the age of 21. Donnell's demeaning assumption is that Pocahontas's acts of bravery must have been motivated by the fact that she and Englishman John Smith were lovers. (Naturally, the acts of courageous men--whether settler or Indian--require no such excuse here.) Although several scenes are set in Jamestown and the Indian towns, the work conveys little sense of how either society operated. In fact, in the book's best-known sequence, Smith's adoption into the Powhatan tribe, Donnell reduces first-rate real-life drama to second-rate melodrama. She pretends (as Smith did in his own writings) that his ceremonial "execution" and Pocahontas's last-minute intervention were the real thing. Author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A superbly written historical novel, Pocahontas transports readers to the forests of precolonial Virginia as well as the bustling streets of London. This action-packed adventure, written by a direct descendant of Pocahontas, keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. Offering abundant information about the Powhatan Indian culture and lifestyle, Donnell shows how these first Americans helped the British survive difficult conditions, and her retelling of the story of Pocahantas's life emphasizes the Native American point of view. Young adults should find this an exciting, easy-to-read tale about a unique person at an important time in American history. Since it is impossible to verify some facts (the intimacy of John Smith and Pocahontas, for example), one wonders if some details are actually stories handed down in the author's family.
- Jacqueline J. Craig, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (February 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425136205
• ISBN-13: 978-0425136201
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,256 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderfully Poignant tale- accurate and well written, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pocahontas (Paperback)

I have read this novel twice already, and find it captivating every time I open it. I have visited the Jamestown museum in Virginia, and find this account to be incredibly descriptive in the lives and cultures of both the English settlers and the Native Americans at the time. I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the story of Pocahontas, as I feel that it seamlessly integrates the many different versions of this story. Good Job Susan!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very accurate historical novel, May 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Pocahontas (Paperback)

This book brings to life the early efforts to colonize Virginia. The facts about key characters such as Sir Samuel Argall and Lord De La Waar are correctly portrayed eventhough they have almost been lost to history. A must read book if interested in moving from Disney's Pocahontas and Captain John Smith's exagerated accounts. Like the author, my family tree goes back to Pocahontas and the Bollings. It is refreshing to read the facts in an enjoyable fashion. Although we will never know her true feelings and emotions, Ms. Donnell writings are plausable. The only unrealitiy is Pocahontas' apparent ease to achieve bilingual english/ native language proficiency.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Colourful and in-depth, absolutely rich., September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pocahontas (Paperback)

It's a story full of descriptions, that, short of the more intimate details of the characters and their thoughts/feelings, are very accurate. Not only are the natural beauties of Virginia, the descriptions of the less-known Powhatan tribes, traditions, cultures and beliefs given full body by Donnell's imaginative writing and research, the venture's first aims in settling in Jamestown can be understood by the modern reader because of the artful, personal way it was presented. This is also a story, a novel of a girl who grows up with responsibilities and power play at twelve years old, of New English politics, of a world where Pocahontas is a 3-D figure here that every female leader in this world can identify with. It's a profound book.