POCAHONTAS

Employing the same device as in his Sacajawea (2000), Bruchac breathes new life into this often-romanticized story. Alternating accounts in the voices of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith relate both the Powhatans’ observations and encounters with the Englishman, and Smith’s political struggles to establish a viable colony. Bruchac carefully describes the same events leading up to Pocahontas and Smith’s first encounter through two different pairs of eyes and two separate cultures, giving readers a much fuller understanding of what probably transpired. Both characters come to life instantly, and the daily accounts are rich with details of everyday life. Bruchac describes his in-depth research and writing process in endnotes, along with glossaries of both Powhatan and 17th-century English terms. His writing is masterfully stylized to suit all characters in their time and culture, and makes for dense but satisfying reading. Many readers may find this hard going, but it will please historical fiction fans, and is a first choice for those interested in exploring the topic. (Fiction. 10+)