Nominated for the National Book Award, this book is set in colonial Massachusetts where, in 1704, a French and Indian war party descended on the vi...
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Jul 10, 2008
Leann
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You gotta hand it to the author -- he did his research. This book contains information from numerous primary sources, and that is where the strengths of this book lie. The author delves off into trying to fill in the blanks left us by the primary sources, but that's not what he's good at. I found some of his "imaginings" of what happened to be quite different from what I imagined given the evidence he had presented. But overall, it was a fascinating look at life in the late 1600s t
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Jan 24, 2011
Mary Lou
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Social history suggested by my son, something he’d read for a course - liked the symmetry of the many beginnings/many endings structure - also liked the play on words in the title, ‘unredeemed’ meaning un-ransomed, unrepentant, and un’saved’ in terms of religious choice/belief. In 1704 Eunice Williams was about seven years old, part of a prominent Puritan clerical family living in Deerfield, Mass. when the community was attacked by French and Indians who killed many of the inhabitants and carr
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Jun 15, 2010
Bruce
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Dr. Demos sets the story of white captives in context. The taking of John Williams and his family, among others during a raid on Deerfield, Mass. by Indians allied to the French is the beginning of the 'story.' Eunice Williams, his daughter, was not returned to New England when others in the group were traded back for Frenchmen held captive in New England or ransomed. Eunice was adopted by an Indian family when she was 'captured.' Later she married an Indian and became completely acculturate
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Dec 15, 2011
Mark
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Interesting at times; frustrating at others.
A friend recommended this book after I raved about Empire of the Summer Moon. It has the same basic focus --- the story of a colonial woman captured by Native Americans who, as she grows up, comes to identify with and thrive in her new life. Each book uses that story as a lens through which to view both Native American and colonial culture.
I prefer Empire of the Summer Moon. Some of that (perhaps much of that) is due to the book' More...
A friend recommended this book after I raved about Empire of the Summer Moon. It has the same basic focus --- the story of a colonial woman captured by Native Americans who, as she grows up, comes to identify with and thrive in her new life. Each book uses that story as a lens through which to view both Native American and colonial culture.
I prefer Empire of the Summer Moon. Some of that (perhaps much of that) is due to the book' More...
Dec 24, 2010
Hafsa
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Facinating use of the imagination in retelling history. As a narrator of history and a scholar who is faced with critical gaps in the historical record as pertains to his subject, Demos deploys his own imagination when discussing how the various members in the family felt at different points in the narrative by critically examining their letters, the historical context around that time period, and the silences in their writings. The book is scholarly, but also fictional, which is what makes is c
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Dec 21, 2010
John
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One of the most compelling and readable works of history I encountered all year. And I read a lot of history. This is a scholarly work, but it was written with kind of a fiction tone, and Demos uses a lot of speculation to get inside people's heads and really ponder their experiences. This does what all great works of history are supposed to do, it analyzes a time that seems somewhat incomprehensible to people today. Imagine, if you will (especially those of you who live in small New England tow
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Feb 09, 2012
Josie
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I am not a history major, clearly. I only made it 50 pages into this book and couldn't imagine slogging my way through the rest. I love the "story" here, but Demos was clearly more focused on primary sources and fact...after fact...after fact... Minute details distracted from what could have been a fascinating telling of this incident. I don't need four pages of historical text (in ye olde americaine englysh no less) of what possessions each townsperson lost in the massacre, follow
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Aug 23, 2010
Becky
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
May 09, 2010
Kathy
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I enjoyed this heavily-researched book about a 7-year-old girl and her family who were captured by Indians in 1704 from their home in Deerfield, MA. Everyone in the family but young Eunice either died or was eventually returned to their home but she chose to stay with the tribe, marry an Indian man and live there for the rest of her life. It's astonishing how the author put together an entire book from the meager facts available about Eunice; much of the material revolved around the conflicts
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Mar 21, 2008
Megan
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I really enjoyed this book. It tells the story of a New England family who was captured by Native Americans in the Deerfield Raid, which took place approximately in 1704. The daughter, Eunice, never did return to her family, she had multiple opportunities, but she chose to remain with the Native Americans. This book shows the attitudes the colonists had towards the Indians, the Indian captives, Catholics, the French, the Indian captives, etc, that chose to stay, etc.
This book I think More...
This book I think More...
Apr 22, 2010
Nisha
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One of my favorite historical book. I read it for two different classes and enjoyed it during both times. It's nice to read because while it give factual information, with some layers of speculation, it still runs the course of the story of the 'Unredeeemed captive', "Eunice".
It's really fascinating to read the meager facts about the life of this woman and the well documented attempts of her family to bring her back.
It's really fascinating to read the meager facts about the life of this woman and the well documented attempts of her family to bring her back.
Jan 24, 2010
Jenny
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Thought-provoking, informative read for American history buffs, and/or those interested in Native American/Puritan relations in colonial America. Represents several 'sides' of the true story of a young woman taken at the age of 7 by the French/Mohawks during a massacre of a Puritan community in Massachusetts, who later chose to live as an Indian woman rather than return to her Puritan family.
Feb 01, 2011
Alessandra
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Demos’ Unredeemed Captive has all the ingredients for an enthralling narrative: a complex and elusive protagonist navigating an environment ripe with warfare, cultural clashes, and finally, a captive circling the lures of “redemption” -a tension evident throughout the narrative- a redemption never fully realized. Yet what makes this narrative exemplary is its deep and sturdy roots in historical reality.
Sep 16, 2010
Meagan
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I may have enjoyed this book more had I not read it in two days for my U.S. History to 1865 class. I had to read it very quickly, and I had a very hard time investing myself in the story. I would have preferred if Demos had made it more of a story and less of bouncing around to topic after topic. It was hard to read in some places, and honestly boring at other parts.
Sep 10, 2010
Heather
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I actually read this for a review in college and was surprised to find that I really enjoyed it. I was so intrigued that when it came time for a research paper I based it upon the book.
Demos did an excellent job of locating primary sources to give life to the past. I highly recommend this book to any history buff.
Demos did an excellent job of locating primary sources to give life to the past. I highly recommend this book to any history buff.
Aug 17, 2009
Marvin
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A history book highly recommended to me by both Ginalie & Bridgett Williams. I didn't find it as engaging as they did. I thought Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was much more creative with limited source material & gave a narrow story more significance. Demos's efforts to make this story stand in for the encounter between two alien cultures largely fell flat for me.
Feb 05, 2010
Laura
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Phenomenal, heart-breaking story. Book club capped off our experience with this book with a trip to Deerfield (we only live 45 minutes away). Standing in the cemetery, hands clasped in a circle, looking at headstones of victims of the Deerfield massacre was a moving experience indeed.
Nov 25, 2008
Dixie Diamond
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Nov 02, 2011
Londonmabel
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Most reviews say this book is either super interesting, or way too detailed. It's both. Demos takes a story that could be covered a long magazine article and stretches it out into a book. But if you're interested in studying either New England or Kahnawake in the 17 and 18th centuries, then Demos' too-much-detail is great.
He quotes extensively from the sources, and then repeats in his own words what was just said, and then imagines and extrapolates on the material. The repeating and ex More...
He quotes extensively from the sources, and then repeats in his own words what was just said, and then imagines and extrapolates on the material. The repeating and ex More...
Nov 12, 2011
Dee
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John Demos writes a captivating narrative on the historical happenings in New England in the early 1700's. The kidnapping of a young girl and the story of trying to find her in the villages and surrounding forests, across the Canadian border and finally, finding her with the Indians after years of searching. It tells of the animosity between the French and the English, between the Catholics and the Protestants, between the whites and the Indians. It shows the humanity and lack of it in all th
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Feb 25, 2010
Sue
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How did the early New Englanders get along with the Indians? This book gives an incredible insight into the clash of cultures. Such an interesting tale of what happened when the Puritan, French, and Indian goals came into conflict. And a touching family story.
Jun 30, 2008
Paul
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This is the tale of Eunice Williams, taken from her home in Deerfield, Massachusetts, in the Deerfield Massacre of February 29, 1704. She was eight years old. She died in 1785. She had married a Mohawk man and had by him two children. She lost her use of English, converted to Catholicism, and lived in the Indian fashion until the day of her death.
It is also the tale of the meeting of three cultures: the Catholic French in Canada, the Puritan English in New England, and the Nativ More...
It is also the tale of the meeting of three cultures: the Catholic French in Canada, the Puritan English in New England, and the Nativ More...
Feb 10, 2010
Beth
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I'm all about history but this book fell waaayyy short for me. Demos gets caught up in himself and sort of rambles at parts. This true story had potential to be something great had Demos taken the novel route; but he didn't. Sorry Demos, better luck next time.
Sep 10, 2008
Monica
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This is probably my second favorite book of all time. Demos is an excellent historian, and in this book, he turned out narrative prose to rival the best fiction novels. Having at one time been a historian myself, I imagine that this book was a big relief to him as he gave into the temptation that we all have - to imagine what happened to our subjects even when we don't have any records or evidence to support it.
Demos clearly distinguishes between the non-fiction text and the imagined More...
Demos clearly distinguishes between the non-fiction text and the imagined More...
Aug 05, 2010
Doreen
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I enjoyed this book. At times it read more like a history book, but i enjoyed learning about the French Indian war and about the lives of Deerfield captives. I was very excited that my small hometown was mentioned quite often. Early New England history fasinates me, and I would recomend this book to anyone interested in early American history.
May 05, 2010
Joshua
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When I first read it I didn't like it, but thinking back to it I realize the book is pretty good.
Sep 04, 2007
What I learned: that where I went to college had lots of interesting history. Also about early colonial America, religion in said, Native American politics/culture/migration in said, and the many, many wars fought over local issues or proxy wars for European conflicts.
It's definitely more history than story in the reading, but the narrative thread does lead you along and makes some of the history more relevant. I'm glad I read it because I knew so little about this period.
It's definitely more history than story in the reading, but the narrative thread does lead you along and makes some of the history more relevant. I'm glad I read it because I knew so little about this period.
Jul 28, 2010
Justin
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Granted, I didn't read the whole thing...but because I couldn't. I didn't like the author's style of writing at all and had a difficult time following it. In the preface he claimed that he wanted to write a narrative-style history, but to me it ended up being a large, jumbled mass of facts, dates, and personalities with very little baseline narrative. It didn't flow or make sense and was, actually, boring. How do you make an indian captivity narrative boring? Oh well.
May 23, 2011
Bryn
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This is the story of the 1704 Deerfield, MA indian raid that left dozens killed and many others captives. This book its about the Williams family and the indian adoption of one of the young daughters named Eunice and the family's quest to return her from her indian family back to her new england family. Well written, though not that fun to read, it's a good anthropological study of two clashing societies in colonial north america.
Jun 23, 2008
Lizzie
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The history of culture contact as lived by colonial settlers in the early 18th century held as captives by Indians. This book concerns a captive woman who chose to stay with the Indians instead of returning to her "home". Her family viewed this as a tragedy but the descriptions of matrilineal Indian culture make it clear there were good reasons that she stayed. I don't know much about this period and was fascinated by it.
