Pocahontas
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Overview
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.
Told from the viewpoints of Pocahontas and John Smith, describes their lives in the context of the encounter between the Powhatan Indians and the English colonists of seventeenth-century Jamestown, Virginia.
Synopsis
The acclaimed story of how Pocahontas took her place as the leader of her people.
Publishers Weekly
Repeating the narrative structure he used to great success in Sacajawea, Bruchac alternates between two stylized voices for this less involving story. The uneven narrative follows 11-year old Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of Chief Powhatan, and Captain John Smith of the James Town settlement in the Virginia colony as their destinies cross in 1607. Pocahontas's story possesses greater immediacy, partially because the author develops her character more fully and because her observations sketch a more complete world (e.g., she tells readers, "One of the strange things about Coatmen [European settlers] is that many of them seem to value their possessions over friendship or human lives"). Smith's words, meant to echo the cadences of the actual diaries and records that introduce each of his chapters, sound stiff and passive, even when chronicling what should be dramatic tales of infighting (a selfish president hoards food while others starve and mutiny). The back-and-forth stories document clashes of culture, such as when a gift-bearing Powhatan envoy innocently picks up and admires a shiny "tomahak" and a European strikes him for attempting to steal his "hatchet." But the two protagonists do not meet until late in the novel, and readers may be frustrated to find that the most compelling and complex action occurs at the end, when the Chief and Pocahontas attempt to broker friendship while Smith harbors hidden ambitions-an intriguing plot development that trails off abruptly. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"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
Publishers Weekly
Repeating the narrative structure he used to great success in Sacajawea, Bruchac alternates between two stylized voices for this less involving story. The uneven narrative follows 11-year old Pocahontas, the favorite daughter of Chief Powhatan, and Captain John Smith of the James Town settlement in the Virginia colony as their destinies cross in 1607. Pocahontas's story possesses greater immediacy, partially because the author develops her character more fully and because her observations sketch a more complete world (e.g., she tells readers, "One of the strange things about Coatmen [European settlers] is that many of them seem to value their possessions over friendship or human lives"). Smith's words, meant to echo the cadences of the actual diaries and records that introduce each of his chapters, sound stiff and passive, even when chronicling what should be dramatic tales of infighting (a selfish president hoards food while others starve and mutiny). The back-and-forth stories document clashes of culture, such as when a gift-bearing Powhatan envoy innocently picks up and admires a shiny "tomahak" and a European strikes him for attempting to steal his "hatchet." But the two protagonists do not meet until late in the novel, and readers may be frustrated to find that the most compelling and complex action occurs at the end, when the Chief and Pocahontas attempt to broker friendship while Smith harbors hidden ambitions-an intriguing plot development that trails off abruptly. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
The title of Bruchac's latest book is a bit of a misnomer. Rather than being a book entirely about or narrated by Pocahontas, John Smith narrates half of the book. The viewpoints alternate by chapter. Pocahontas's chapters begin with pieces of Native American myth and cultural commentary while John Smith's begin with excerpts from various documents from the period. Offering both viewpoints is a good way to give readers an accurate picture of what was happening on both sides. The historical events appear to be accurate and Bruchac does a good job of depicting the world of both Pocahontas and John Smith. However, there is not a lot of difference in the two voices; they not very distinctive from one another, especially when one is a Powhatan girl and the other an Englishman. Bruchac includes a glossary of early 17th century English and the Powhatan language, but they are unnecessary since most of the words are easily figured out in context. A few pages outlining the rest of the history of Pocahontas and John Smith completes this informative historical novel. 2003, Harcourt,— Amie Rose Rotruck
VOYA
This is not Disney's Pocahontas—not by a long shot. Although the chief's daughter does run around half-naked, she is only eleven years old. She spends much of her time with John Smith trying to stay upwind of him because he, like the other Jamestown colonists, rarely bathes and smells terrible. The story is told in alternating first-person chapters by Smith, who comes across as well meaning, generally competent, but rather full of himself. Pocahontas is portrayed here as intelligent, high-spirited, and a bit of a Paris Hilton, extremely aware of herself as the privileged daughter of a powerful chief. Smith's narrative is written in a well-done faux-Elizabethan English that might challenge some less sophisticated readers, while Pocahontas's language is heavily spiced with Powhatan words. In creating this historically accurate version of Pocahontas's frequently retold story, Bruchac, the dean of Native American children's book authors, carefully consulted the actual documents of the Jamestown settlers, including the voluminous writings of Captain Smith himself. Equally important, however, although the Powhatan no longer exist as a nation, Bruchac studied deeply and made use of the traditions and stories of the other Algonquin peoples of the region, including his own Abenaki tribe. Bruchac provides appendixes for both languages, a map of the Chesapeake area in 1607, brief chapters on sources, and a bibliography. Despite the extensive apparatus, however, it must be emphasized that this novel is first and foremost an enjoyable and engaging retelling of the Pocahontas story and very possibly the best version currently available for teen readers. VOYA Codes: 4Q 3P M J (Better than most,marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Harcourt, 208p.; Glossary. Map. Source Notes. Biblio. Ages 11 to 15.—Michael Levy