Ransom of Mercy Carter [Turtleback]

Caroline B. Cooney (Author)

Book Description

Deerfield, Massachusetts is one of the most remote, and therefore dangerous, settlements in the English colonies. In 1704 an Indian tribe attacks the town, and Mercy Carter becomes separated from the rest of her family, some of whom do not survive. Mercy and hundreds of other settlers are herded together and ordered by the Indians to start walking. The grueling journey -- three hundred miles north to a Kahnawake Indian village in Canada -- takes more than 40 days. At first Mercy's only hope is that the English government in Boston will send ransom for her and the other white settlers. But days turn into months and Mercy, who has become a Kahnawake daughter, thinks less and less of ransom, of Deerfield, and even of her "English" family. She slowly discovers that the "savages" have traditions and family life that soon become her own, and Mercy begins to wonder: If ransom comes, will she take it?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on actual events, this latest offering from the accomplished Cooney (The Face on the Milk Carton; Driver's Ed) is a gripping and thought-provoking account of the 1704 Indian raid on the English settlement of Deerfield, Mass. After their village is burned and many of its residents killed, Mercy and more than 100 other settlers are taken prisoner by the Kahnawake Mohawk, who have been converted to Catholicism by the French. Some of the novel's most riveting chapters describe the difficult winter trek that takes them 300 miles north to Canada, where Mercy settles into life in a traditional Indian village near Montreal. Uncertain whether she will be adopted by the Mohawk who captured her or whether the English will pay the ransom that would allow her to return to Massachusetts, Mercy struggles to balance loyalty to her own family and traditions with a growing appreciation for the Kahnawake way of life. Just how much her perspective broadens can be measured by the fact that, in addition to adopting many Indian ways, Mercy can find something sacred and comforting in the Catholic mass a rite she was raised to believe led straight to eternal damnation. Portrayed mostly as rigid, angry and dogmatic, the Puritans contrast poorly with the generally kind and commonsensical Indians, and Mercy's final choice is thus compelling. Though at times this account reads like the MTV version of the events (e.g., glancing over such important events as the death of Mercy's Indian father), the immediacy of Mercy's dilemma comes through despite its historical distance. Cooney's trademark staccato delivery keeps the pages turning. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-The drama of history unfolds in this gripping tale based on the actual destruction of Deerfield, MA, in February, 1704. In a surprise attack, Mohawk Indians entered the town, burned it, and took captives with them on a 300-mile march to Canada. This is 11-year-old Mercy Carter's story. Accustomed to caring for her younger siblings, she becomes the mother figure for several of the children on the long and harsh journey. Although she waits to be ransomed, when the opportunity arises more than a year after her capture, she refuses to go back. Cooney artfully combines the intense drama of the situation with historical details of the period and the Indian culture. The conflict between the English Puritans from Deerfield and the French Catholics is also well depicted. However, although Mercy is an intriguing, feisty girl, her maturity is often unrealistic. She never panics; she always thinks ahead and projects the outcome of her actions. Cooney carefully draws her other characters to show myriad reactions to the capture, including the rebellious Ruth and others who are too devastated by their losses to care about what happens to them. It is unfortunate that only cursory mention is made of the Indians' underlying plight against the invading white man that led to such horrifying attacks. Still, there is a great deal in this engrossing tale to recommend it.

Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Turtleback: 249 pages
• Publisher: Demco Media (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606258876
• ISBN-13: 978-0606258876
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,035,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable true story set during colonial times., January 6, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ransom of Mercy Carter (Hardcover)

Eleven-year-old Mercy Carter lives with her family in Deerfield, Massachusetts, the most remote settlement in the English colonies in 1704. Although life in Deerfield is both difficult and dangerous, with countless chores for even the youngest child and the constant threat of Indian attacks, Mercy takes comfort in her family and her faith. But even her prayers are not enough to save many settlers from brutal deaths at the hands of the Indians, and they aren't enough to save Mercy, who is among the survivors, from capture. Forced to march three hundred miles north to the Indian village in Canada through the brutal winter cold is almost more than Mercy can bear, and many do not survive the journey. Once she arrives in Canada, she finds herself a servant, and her only comfort lies in her faith, her prayers, and the faint hope that she will be ransomed and reunited with the surviving members of her family. Yet as time goes by, Mercy begins to think of herself as less of a captive, and more of a daughter of the tribe. And as this happens, Mercy wonders - if given the chance to become "English" again, would she even want to take it? Is she even still Mercy Carter, the Puritan girl from Deerfield, or an entirely new person? This was an absolutely wonderful book. The author really was able to get inside Mercy's head, to make the reader feel what she was feeling, as she struggles to love and not hate, to mourn her lost family and friends yet be happy among the people responsible for the deaths, and to remember her old life without causing herself pain. I can't say enough good things about this book, so I'll just highly reccomend that you read it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ransom of Mercy Carter, December 27, 2002

By 

MissKitKat (Somewhere in the USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ransom of Mercy Carter (Mass Market Paperback)

The Ransom of Mercy Carter was the best book I have read in a long time. It is about an 11 year old girl who lives in Deerfield, Massachusetts. She lives there with her stepmama and her father. Also with her siblings Benny, Marah, Tommy, John, and Sam. They are an English family living in this small village with many other families hiding from Indian raids. Then one night the indians come and take all the children that they can and many of the adults. Mercy's father is away buying things needed for the family. The indian's take almost every item belonging to the many families and burn all the buildings. Then they take the children and parents on a 3 hundred mile trek to Canada. Along the way many people become ill or hurt and die. Many are murdered out of pure hatred of the indians. Mercy and her family are spared all but her stepmama and Marah who are too weak and cry too much and have their lives taken by the indians. Then the indians take the children they want to adopt and go to their villages that they live in. The Carter family is completely seperated. Then it tells what happens to them in their lives and how they live. Mercy is torn between wanting to be ransomed and staying with the indians. I really enjoyed this because it told about indian life in the villages and how life was in the early 1700s. I deeply encourage you to read this book.This is the first book I have read by Caroline B. Cooney and I am looking forward to reading many, many more. ;)

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great historical fiction, May 14, 2001

By 

Diane Hughes (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ransom of Mercy Carter (Hardcover)

The trend in young adult literature now is historical fiction and I love it. This was an intriguing book that once started was hard to put down. The details of the attack by the Indians and the march north to Canada were very gripping. This is the type of book that students love and open up the class room to great discussions. Read this book now.