Puritan Girl, Mohawk Girl

Gr 5–8—This "Indian captivity" novel is a fictionalized version of the experiences of a Puritan girl who was captured by Mohawk warriors at the age of seven. Eunice and her family settled in Deerfield, MA, just prior to the French and Indian War. Mohawks and settlers were killed, and among the dead were Eunice's mother and newborn sister. Eunice and her family are captured and separated from each other, and she is brought to a Mohawk village in Canada under French rule and influenced by Catholic missions. Her father, a prominent minister, escapes and negotiates the release of her two brothers, but Eunice's new family refuses to let her go. She ultimately decides to remain with the Mohawk family. The story follows her life among the Mohawk and describes various cultural beliefs and customs, the conflict between the Puritan and Catholic beliefs, and the prejudiced views both groups held about the Mohawk. What makes the story of Eunice, who later was given the name Gannenstenhai (She Brings in Corn), compelling is the portrayal of her transition from a white, colonialist culture to the Mohawk way of life.