Squanto

by Feenie Ziner

A biography of the Wampanoag Indian who, after living in England and Spain, returned to New England in 1619 and befriended the Pilgrims when they settled in Plymouth

Genres: History, Native American, American History, School

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Feenie Ziner is Professor of English Emerita at the University of Connecticut.

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I was lucky to find this book at our library since all the sellers seem to think it is worth hundreds of dollars. It is very well written & reads more like a novel than a typical biography, with detailed descriptions & character development. Of course, it is not going to be 100% historically accurate or unbiased, but it is a true living book. Connecting with historical people & places is much more beneficial than reading a thousand dry facts.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-done and it is a shame that copyright issues have prevented it from being published. The writing style is literary and the author weaves in details about how the various New England tribes lived into the tale. She puts on flesh to the historical characters and they come alive. Wherever Squanto travels, the reader feels planted into that time and place. Rather than a one-dimensional focus on the Pilgrims--the last and shortest episode of Squanto's life--she shares his full story. Squanto interacts with tribes from Maine to Massachusetts and, because of two different kidnappings, he travels to England and Spain. He lives in Conception Bay, Newfoundland for a time before returning to what is left of his home in New England.

The author provides a detailed bibliography and, in her notes, cites specific primary documents. She notes where she took poetic license or had to fill in gaps based on her personal insight.

I'm so glad Internet Archive dropped their loan queues so that I could read this treasure.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic biography on a character from history that you don't typically see a biography of. Squanto is a well known figure but very little is ever heard of his journey and life before the pilgrims. That this man endured so much at the hands of Europeans and still had the kindness to help settlers of Plymouth is not only amazing but truly a miracle. Truly, just the fact that he made it back to his home after so many years was miraculous. We really enjoyed this beautiful book and appreciated the story of Squanto's amazing journeys.

[Amy Bodkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal book!!!! It is beautifully a respectfully done!!! It does a fantastic job of telling you about who Squanto actually was and not just the one perspective we get from the Pilgrims.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sorry this is out of print! Great read aloud.

[Anju Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sad but beautifully written.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great a d plausible explanation of the man who helped to see the Plymouth Pilgrims.

[Eliza Fitzgerald]

This was a great story. All other accounts I've read focus mainly on the pilgrims. This one tells about Tisquantum "Squanto" himself. It's really a very sobering and melancholy story.

[Holly Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an important book for understanding Squanto and his life and times. Very interesting, especially when put alongside traditional history texts. I would recommend for anyone - child or adult. Children who are good readers could probably read it by 5th grade. For read-aloud, I would recommend 4th grade +.