A story of survival and of friendship. The author is well researched and educates as well as entertains.

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An inspiring true story of survival...

One can always count on John Demos to have done his research when it comes to any Colonial America or New England-based topics, and this book is no exception. This fictionalised account is another example of his wonderful dedication to these topics.

It isn't often that I can say I learned something from fiction, but with this author and his background as an historian, I definitely feel like I'm smarter about the Mohawk culture after reading this book. If you are looking for a book where you get a bird's eye view of what the world used to be like, this one will do nicely.

Whilst some may not feel like they get to know the characters on a friendly level, I think you have to keep in mind that this book is based on real events and that the amount of research that went into it is astounding. I think people of all ages would benefit from reading this book and walk away knowing much more than they started out with. I liked it, and encourage others to give it a chance and read this amazing story.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This historical fiction book is based on the true story of Eunice Williams, a Puritan girl who was captured and raised by Mohawks after a raid on her village. It documents her life from that time until her death but focuses primarily on her childhood and her transition from a Puritan girl to a Mohawk girl, who although given many opportunities, chose to stay with the Mohawks.

While interesting and well researched the story reads more like a textbook instead of a smooth story.

Though this book is classified as historical fiction, I thought the style of the writing was much more like a biography or nonfiction narrative. The story follows a much more bird’s-eye view of Eunice’s life and sometimes jumps away to catalogue her family’s reactions to various news and moments. That said, I found the story captivating as it followed a girl so young and the transformation of her ideas and identity as she grew up. I liked that the author clarifies in a note at the end of the book which parts were based on true historical documentation and which were filled in using traditions of the English or Mohawk at the time the events took place.

I think Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl would make a great supplement to a U.S. History curriculum for fourth or fifth grade readers. It focuses on some interesting relationships—not only the English versus the French, but Protestants versus Catholics and settlers versus Native American ways or beliefs.

Review will post November 1, 2017

Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl

A Novel



by John Demos

ABRAMS Kids

Amulet Books



Middle Grade

Pub Date 31 Oct 2017

I am reviewing a copy of Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl through Amulet Books and Netgalley:

In this book we are transported back to 1704 Deerfield Massachusetts. Eunice is kidnapped by the Mohawk and taken to Canada. Her Mother is killed and her brother Steven taken captive. Eunice father tried to convince her to come back to the settle but she choose to remain with her Mohawk family.

This book is a great introduction to young readers to the conflict between the Settlers and the Indians, but also it tells a story of love, forgiveness and acceptance.

I give Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

First of all, thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

I have mixed feelings about Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl--and I think it comes down to whether this is a novel or a work of creative non-fiction. When I picked it up, I was excited by the idea of another story along the lines of Indian Captive, which I loved as a girl. Strong characters, compelling plot, intriguing world. But this isn't that.

This book reads more like a historical summary of the characters, and has never approaches close POV. I read in the author's note that he is a historian and was inspired by research, and that this is his first attempt at a children's book. I think that shows pretty clearly.

So, this book is a good read if you are mostly just after a quick, distant look at the main story. It had a lot of great details about life in a Mohawk village and issues happening during the time period. I personally found the story interesting because of its information, but only read for the information--I was not compelled by the characters, because we were in such a distant third person it read more like a history book than a story. If I were not a naturally curious and stubborn adult type, I probably wouldn't have finished this.

Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl is excellent if you're after general history and the basics of a good story. But if you want something more engrossing and character-driven, I'd recommend picking up Indian Captive instead.

This book caught my attention because I have very good friends who belong to the Mohawk nation in Kahnawake, close to the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. One of my friends, although Mohawk, is tall and white skinned and I am told it was because there was a white captive that was adopted into his tribe several generations ago.
Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl is an excellent way to teach history to middle grade children through storytelling. Although the main character, Eunice Williams really existed, most of the details are fictional but based on the daily life of the Mohawk people.

I remember reading a very similar story as a young girl entitled “Calico Captive”. The story was similar but with a much different ending. I really enjoyed Eunice’s story and found it to be quite a page turner.

Based on the true story of the capture of Eunice Williams by the Mohawk people. I could see this used as a companion book in the study of Early American History. The story gives insights into the culture and beliefs of the Mohawk nation. It is interesting in the division of the Mohawk nation between two different colonial powers, the group that Eunice was living with in Canada under the influence of France and the Catholic priests and their relatives, south of Canada, which was under the control of the English and the Protestant religion.
I received a free ARC for an unbiased review.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* 'Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl' is a fictionalised account of the true story of a young Eunice Williams, who along with her family, was taken captive from her town of Deerfield by members of the Mohawk tribe and marched to Canada. Eunice is soon split from her family and brought up by a Mohawk family. Her father, Reverend Williams and some of her siblings are eventually released and return home, never to give up their quest to be reunited with their sister and daughter. I found the novel relatively interesting and certainly learnt a fair bit about Mohawk customs at the time. I did not particularly feel emotionally connected to the characters, however and felt that more could have been done to flesh out the individuals in the story. Whilst the novel is based on a true story, at times the events did not seem particularly believable. Despite this, the book did keep my attention until the end and I enjoyed reading the author's notes at the end of the story.

Thank you for this book. Unfortunately, since it is not in kindle format, I am unable to read it.

I can't read and review the book because I can't send PDF files to my Kindle. Sorry!