First published 1986
Kit Tyler steps off the ship onto Connecticut's shore in 1867 with nothing but the clothes on her back. She has fled her island home in Barbados and now must live with relatives she has never met. The Puritan colonists eye her with distrust from the start. Kit feels trapped between two worlds. She wants to belong in this new place, but she refuses to abandon who she truly is. The hostile community makes survival difficult. Then Kit discovers Hannah Tupper, an older woman living alone by the pond. The colonists whisper that Hannah is a witch. Kit finds comfort in Hannah's friendship, but this bond puts her in grave danger. She must decide what matters more: fitting in with her new family and community, or staying loyal to the person who understands her best. Kit's choice will test both her courage and her heart.
Genres: historical-fiction, coming-of-age, young-adult, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Barbados, Connecticut
Period: 1867
256 pages · Paperback · Yearling