Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond has been a classic of young adult literature since its first appearance as a Newberry Medal winner in 1959. The Witch of Blackbird Pond endures as a tale about the redemptive power of love.
The book opens aboard the Dolphin, a trading ship en route to Connecticut from Barbados. Sailing as one of the Dolphin's passengers is Kit Tyler, a sixteen-year-old English girl. Born in Barbados, Kit has never seen the shore of North America, but the loss of her parents, her beloved grandfather, and her grandfather's plantation to heavy debt have pushed Kit into the arms of the only family she has left: her Puritan aunt Rachel, uncle Matthew, and cousins Judith and Mercy.
Before she has even set foot on the shores of Connecticut, Kit runs afoul of the town's more suspicious and mean-spirited citizens when she dives into the freezing river to save a doll belonging to young Prudence Cruff. While Prudence is thrilled, her hard-hearted parents immediately suspect Kit – who floats – to be a witch.