Shelly's Book Blog

I have never read a novel by Elizabeth George Speare that I didn't like, and Calico Captive is no exception. Like Katherine Paterson's Bread and Roses, Too, this book is based on a true story. The main character is Miriam Willard, a young woman who, along with her family, is captured by Indians, forced to travel on foot to Montreal, and held for ransom there for months. This all takes place in 1754, during the French and Inidian War.

At first I thought this story was going to be pretty grim, because it starts out that way. Miriam and her family are kidnapped in a terrifying raid of their home. Poor Suzanna, Miriam's pregnant older sister, is forced first to try to keep up with the group and then to give birth to her child in the wilderness with only Miriam to help her. However, when they reach Montreal, the Indians sell them, and even though the family members are separated, they are at least provided with food and a decent place to live. In fact, Miriam ends up living in the house of a very wealthy family.

It was interesting to explore with Miriam the nature of imprisonment and slavery, because in this book readers witness shades of gray emerge. Although Miriam is not free to leave, she begins to enjoy her new life. She is seduced by a lifestyle that is wildly different from anything she, a woman from a pioneering family, has ever known. I was also fascinated by the history in the book -- the conflict between the English and French, the role the Indians played, and just the idea that holding human beings for ransom seemed to be accepted and supported by the government in Montreal -- it all made for very interesting, if disturbing, reading.

This story might be enjoyed by a slightly older audience than Bread and Roses, Too, though, because there really is a pretty heavy emphasis on Miriam's love life. I really enjoy historical romance, but I can imagine that it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea.