“From that first moment, in a way she could never explain, the Meadows claimed her and made her their own.” Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Other than the Bible, I could probably read Elizabeth George Speare’s The Witch of Blackbird Pond every week for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Within the first year or so of owning the book, I read it eight times. I love this book. Just thinking about it makes me want to go home and hug it tightly to my chest. No other novel comes even remotely close to how much I adore this story. Harry Potter and Narnia and Middle-Earth take a back seat to 1687’s New England.
You might wonder why I love this book so much. There are lots of reasons. To begin with, Speare writes in a clear way with enough description for readers to vividly imagine each scene without distracting them from the plot. I can taste the food described, feel the textures of the different clothes, and hear the wind in the tall grasses of the meadows. I can see the scowls of the disapproving townspeople. I feel the emotions of the different characters.
Beyond that, my love for this book is rooted in just how much I identify with heroine Kit Tyler. Tyler’s grandfather raised her in the tropical paradise of Barbados. In time, she must leave the island for a new home, a journey that brings her to dreary New England where she moves in with extended family. The story revolves around Tyler’s struggle to adapt to a culture and a family that everyone expects her to blend with easily. Instead, she struggles to fit in with everyone around her, and her attempts to do so often make a poor situation much worse. She is impetuous, passionate, and independent. What makes her stand out is what makes her so likable. Can you see why a TCK would appreciate this story?
In case you have not read the book, I won’t give away any major spoilers. I just really really really love this one! Do you have a book that means the world to you?
Ellayne Shaw 
Yes, i do have a favorite novel. It is the one I have been writing over the past 13 years and is the one I have walked away from in despair time and time again, only to go back to it as if it was a lover.
Such a great book! I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to appreciate it.
I loved this book growing up; I haven’t read it in ages, but thinking about it again makes me want to read it now! I had never thought about the connection between Kit and TCKs – but it makes perfect sense. That might help explain why I loved it so much and read it over and over and over… (Apart from the great writing and wonderful story!) Great post!
Eeeee! 😀 This makes me excited. 🙂