The "Ransom of Mercy Carter" is a historical fiction novel written by Caroline B. Cooney. It is set during the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century and follows the story of Mercy Carter, a young girl who is taken captive by the Mohawk Indians.
At the beginning of the novel, Mercy is living with her family in a small village in Massachusetts. She is a strong-willed and independent young woman, who often feels confined by the strict societal expectations placed upon her as a woman in colonial America.
One day, a group of Mohawk Indians attack the village and capture Mercy and several other people, including her brother, Aaron. The group is taken to the Mohawk village, where they are forced to adapt to the Indian way of life.
Mercy quickly learns that she must be strong and resourceful if she wants to survive in this new environment. She befriends a young Mohawk girl named Snow Falls, who helps her understand the culture and customs of the Mohawk tribe.
As time passes, Mercy begins to see the humanity in her captors and learns to respect their way of life. She also discovers that she has a natural talent for healing, which she uses to help the sick and injured in the village.
Eventually, Mercy's family is able to negotiate a ransom with the Mohawk tribe and she is returned to her family. However, she is not the same person she was before her captivity. Her experiences with the Mohawk have changed her in ways that she could never have imagined, and she finds it difficult to fit back into the rigid societal expectations of colonial America.
Overall, "The Ransom of Mercy Carter" is a compelling and thought-provoking tale that explores themes of identity, cultural understanding, and the strength of the human spirit. It is a powerful reminder of the transformative nature of life experiences and the importance of being open to new perspectives and ways of life.
The Ransom of Mercy Carter Quotes by Caroline B. Cooney
We get to see the facts of what life during this time and in this situation was like, as it happened often, but through the lens of one of the children. Do not let yourself matter to them! I would see this on the shelf growing up, and for some reason I never read it. Laboriously, they made their way up the cliff, crawling part of the way. Caroline Cooney knew in sixth grade that she wanted to be a writer when "the best teacher I ever had in my life" made writing her main focus. On her birthday, she was given a diary by her mother and her Aunt June. It was interesting to learn that the French and Indian border wars were about beaver.
The Ransom of Mercy Carter
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? Based on the cover, it looks like they're both the main characters, and like it could be a romance book. To view it, I could have sworn my library had a hard copy of this, so idk why this is a little paperback. She is like Mercy's conscience. She began to sell stories to Seventeen magazine and soon after began writing books. I could relate several events and themes throughout the novel to events in society today. Cooney showed how the children are sold, assimilated into Indian culture, some adopted into families, others to the French BUT the older children suffer from angst only Ruth shows anger A brutal read based on actual events about the forced kidnapping and march of captured Deerfield residents for 300 long, cold, merciless miles.
The Ransom of Mercy Carter — Historic Deerfield
I will remember my family, my God and my home. She comes across as a grown, middle aged woman. If those were English, the Indians would long ago have surrounded and attacked them. Ruth is the exact opposite of who Mercy is becoming. WTF is this author thinking?!? In Deerfield, all had been worry. It was amazing that Ruth would survive to kick and scream, she whose lungs had seemingly destined her for an early grave, while many who would be useful to the Indians, who would lift and carry and obey, were killed. He works hard, Joseph.
