Calico CaptiveFrom a Newbery Medal–winning author, an “exciting novel” about a colonial girl’s experience during the French and Indian War (Saturday Review). In the year 1754, the stillness of Charlestown, New Hampshire, is shattered by the terrifying cries of an Indian raid. Young Miriam Willard, on a day that had promised new happiness, finds herself instead a captive on a forest trail, caught up in the ebb and flow of the French and Indian War. It is a harrowing march north. Miriam can only force herself to the next stopping place, the next small portion of food, the next icy stream to be crossed. At the end of the trail waits a life of hard work and, perhaps, even a life of slavery. Mingled with her thoughts of Phineas Whitney, her sweetheart on his way to Harvard, is the crying of her sister’s baby, Captive, born on the trail. Miriam and her companions finally reach Montreal, a city of shifting loyalties filled with the intrigue of war, and here, by a sudden twist of fortune, Miriam meets the prominent Du Quesne family, who introduce her to a life she has never imagined. Based on an actual narrative diary published in 1807, Calico Captive skillfully reenacts an absorbing facet of history. “Vital and vivid, this short novel based on the actual captivity of a pre-Revolutionary girl of Charlestown, New Hampshire, presents American history with force and verve.” —Kirkus Reviews |
Contents
Section 1 | 15 |
Section 2 | 27 |
Section 3 | 37 |
Section 4 | 52 |
Section 5 | 68 |
Section 6 | 69 |
Section 7 | 80 |
Section 8 | 93 |
Section 17 | 156 |
Section 18 | 169 |
Section 19 | 176 |
Section 20 | 184 |
Section 21 | 193 |
Section 22 | 195 |
Section 23 | 197 |
Section 24 | 228 |
Section 9 | 95 |
Section 10 | 105 |
Section 11 | 119 |
Section 12 | 123 |
Section 13 | 132 |
Section 14 | 146 |
Section 15 | 151 |
Section 16 | 153 |
Section 25 | 240 |
Section 26 | 246 |
Section 27 | 249 |
Section 28 | 251 |
Section 29 | 259 |
Section 30 | 273 |
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Common terms and phrases
Abenaki arms asked baby beautiful blanket blue breath cabin calico Calico Captive canoe Captain Captive carriage caught Charlestown cheeks child clothes coureur coureur de bois curls dance dark dear door doorway dress dressmaker English face Felicité fingers France French gown hair hand head homespun Hortense Hortense's hurried Indians James Johnson Jules kitchen knew laughed little girls look Madame Du Quesne Madame's Maman Marquise Mayor's wife Maypole Mehkoa mind Miriam answered Miriam felt Miriam saw Miriam stared Miriam Willard Montreal morning mother never night Number Four once Peter Labaree Phineas Whitney Pierre Laroche Pierre's Polly prisoners river seemed shoulders sister skirt small face smile soldier squaw stepped stood stop street Suddenly sure Susanna Johnson Sylvanus talk tears thing thought tomorrow tonight turned unmis Vanus Vaudreuil voice waiting walk watching wear wigwam woman women word young