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Summary: Great story with lots of hidtorical facts.
Review: Based on the true story of Susannah Johnson who was captured with her entire family by Indians in 1754, Calico Captive is a fictionalized recreation of that ordeal. Native Americans are not the only dangers, however, as hostilities between English and French colonists in the New World increase, exploding in war. Sixteen-year-old Miriam Willard--red headed, headstrong and spunky--lives with her older, married sister and their three small children in Charlestown, N.H., until the fateful dawn raid by the Abenaki tribe. Miriam and the Johnsons find themselves prisoners several times in this novel. They are first held for ransom or adoption in a shabby Indian village. Then in mighty Montreal (a French stronghold, feared by the British settlers) Miriam becomes a kitchen slave, while her sister's family is parceled out among wealthy French colonials, and later falsely imprisoned. Denied freedom of choice for her movements, Miriam discovers the meaning of true friendship,as her talents with a needle prove invaluable. But her heart is torn between her scholarly suitor back home and a wild, boistrous French fur trapper. What does the future hold for her, when she is suddenly granted the long-denied right to choose her own destiny? Susannah struggles to keep her family together and to maintian their English ethics in the face of French frills and native lifestyles. This is an interesting and fast-paced read, which will appeal to girls 12-18, with accurate details of both Indian and French Colonial life.
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Summary: A great book.
Review: Elizabeth George Speare's "Calico Captive" might not be as suspenseful as her "The Witch of Blackbird Pond," but it is still very good. As the excellent review from 12/1/99 pointed out, this story is very loosely based on the true captivity narrative of Susannah Johnson. The focus of the book is on Mrs. Johnson's younger sister, Miriam Willard, who was just 14 at the time she and her older sister's family were captured by Abenaki Indians in 1754, but Ms. Speare increased her age to 16. This book has adventure and romance, and makes for a great fast-paced read. It also deals with how cultures and religions clashed on the 18th century frontier: New England farmers vs. Abenaki warriors, Puritanism vs. Roman Catholicism, and English vs. French. A wonderful historical novel for young readers, and interesting history.
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Summary: Wonderful book!
Review: I got this to read to my kids while we learned about the French Indian War. It was absolutely marvelous. It gave you a wonderful feel of the times and the struggles the early settlers faced. It was the story of a family captured by Indians and separated in a time of war. It tells of hope kept alive while they go from one crisis to the next waiting to be reunited. It is mostly the story of a young girl trying to grow into a young woman in a strange place and foreign culture and her decision to follow her heart.
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Summary: This is a great book!
Review: I loved this book, it sweeps you along with it, you can just feel what the characters are feeling, its a great book. What makes it so special to me though, is that I am alot like muriam,(even down to her talent for dressmaking!) I can totaly relate to what she feels,and (relate to) how she has no friends in the begining. She is a very human charicter, no doubt I would have done just as she did in her shoes. The reason I say this is that one of the people that left a review of the book and panted a picture of her being selfish, caring only (mostly) for parties, fashions, ect. But I would think better of her, knowing what it feels like to be the kind of person she is. But, summing up, Elizabeth George Spear is a great author, and it is amazing to me that she made alot of this up!
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Summary: Great book for young girls!
Review: I must have read this book at least three times between the ages of 8 and 11. The different cultures it portrayed fascinated me and the bravery of the heroine in many different settings enchanted me. A story of adventure, romance and of being true to oneself, it's a truly feel-good story. This book will always be one of my little treasures.
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Summary: This is a great book!
Review: I read this book 25 years ago, and my daughter just finished it. Teenage selfishness and bravado give way to maturity, loyalty, and strong sense of self. A wonderful book.
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Summary: Really Good!
Review: This book is great. I read this after Witch of Blackbird Pond, and that still remains my favorite, but this one is really good. The story starts on the typical plotline of girl get's captured by Indians, she even the red hair of the girl's in other stories that are similar. It all changes around when Miriam arrives in Montreal. Forgetting that she is a captive, Miriam allows herself to be sucked into a whirlwind of parties and social activities. This can be kind of bothersome if you prefer noble heroines, but if you like ones that are realistic and with faults, Miriam will be a favorite. After all, she has been without companionship for months, and living a colonial life on the wilderness is not fun and games. When she gets kicked out onto the streets, her struggle get's worse. Not only does she have to help her sister come to grips with the loss of her children, she also has to work in a hostile situation, since she is English. Courted by the dashing, handsome, and rich Pierre de Laroche, you see her slowly forget about the truly noble guy she left back in Charleston. The one thing I thought wasn't really great, was that the character of Phineas Whitney wasn't developed enough to compete very well with Pierre de Laroche, but that was the only thing I wasn't completely happy about. I've read it 5-6 times. I'd recommend it to anyone.
By the way, if anyone knows much about Elizabeth George Speare, I would be interested in knowing more about her.
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Summary: Boys and Fashion Take Precedence Over Being Rescued
Review: While the plot followed the typical "girl gets captured by Indians" story line, the characters didn't. The main character, Miriam Willard, was more concerned with boys and fashion then she was with being rescued. Due to her conceited mind, Miriam, blamed the other captives, mainly her family, for letting her get captured. Throughout the book, she whines about being torn away from the love of her life, who she had just met recently. Even when she is being held prisoner at a French fort in Canada, Miriam was longing to be dressed in fancy clothes and have men notice her. Then at the end of book, when she finally gets what she wants, she gives it up to go back to a man that she has not seen for a long time. Her sister Susanna was the only reasonable character, who comprehended their situation. If it were not for her, the family would not have made it.
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