Sword of the Wilderness

by Elizabeth Coatsworth, Roger Payne (Illustrator)

Captured by Indians! Trekked through the wilderness, starving, freezing, eventually learning to live together in Maine, 1689.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult

126 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Elizabeth Jane Coatsworth was best known as the author of Away Goes Sally, The Cat Who Went to Heaven, which won the 1931 Newbery Medal, and the four Incredible Tales, but in fact she wrote more than 90 books for children. She was extremely interested in the world around her, particularly the people of Maine, as well as the houses and the surrounding land. She also loved the history and myths of her favorite places, those near her home and those encountered on her countless travels.

Coatsworth graduated from Vassar College in 1915 and received a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1916. In 1929, she married writer Henry Beston, with whom she had two children. When she was in her thirties, her first books of adult poetry were published. For over fifty years, she continued to write and publish poetry in collections and to weave poems between the chapters of her books of fiction.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s a well told, enthralling tale about an English teenage boy taken captive by Indians in 1689.

On his way to fetch the family’s wandering cow one morning, Seth and others are captured by Indians. Mustering all his strength and courage, he manages to survive the trek back to the Indian’s settlement and pass through the gantlet mostly unharmed. With winter approaching, Seth does not give up hope of somehow returning to his home.

The story stays engaging throughout and keeps you guessing as to the fate of the captives. Highly recommend this one!

Cleanliness: Violence: there are a couple of scalpings with minimal detail. Captives have to run a gantlet. There is several incidents where a captive is about to be burned at the stake. There is a love story - very minimal. Mentions tobacco. Mentions the Indians religion a couple of times, with reference to the Great Spirit. Mentions Catholicism and a few of its practices.

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[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids were fascinated with this book and wondered if there was a second one after it. The characters were endearing and the story was not a watered down version of life in Maine with the Indians in the 1600’s. My ancestors lived in the area of the story at this same time period so it took up a unique interest to me. I’m glad the author made the effort to write a good depiction of the times.

[Laura Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the late 1600s during King William's War, some Abenakis attacked a settlement in Pemaquid and killed and captured a few people. This account follows captive Seth, a young teen, while he lives and travels with a native family and after 2 years, is reunited with his own family.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched YA novel of a young man captured in an Indian raid on an early English settlement on the coast of Maine, and taken as prisoner through the wilderness to Quebec. The action takes place over the course of a year, and the fate of several other captives is part of the story.

The relationship between Indians, the English, the French, and the Church turns the plot, and is historically accurate as far as I can tell. Elizabeth Coatsworth was ahead of her time in her respect for the Indian way of life.

I was interested to learn that the Ursuline nuns in Quebec often took in English girls who'd been captured, and many of those became nuns.