The Witch of Blackbird Pond

The Witch of Blackbird Pond Summary | Plot Summary

The year is 1687. Kit Tyler is a young orphan who grew up with her Grandfather in Barbados. She lived a very free and happy life in that sunny land. When her grandfather died, she is left alone and penniless at the age of sixteen. The only choice she has is to go to America, where her aunt lived. Without advising them, she boarded a ship to take her to Connecticut to her aunt and uncle's home. She is heading for the town of Wethersfield.

Aboard ship, she is well-treated by Captain Eaton and his wife, who take the young girl under their wings. Their son Nat is just a little older than Kit and a very lively young man. Her other fellow passengers are Mr. and Mrs. Cruff and their daughter Prudence, and John Holbrook, a serious and studious young man.

At one point, little Prudence's doll falls in the water. Without hesitation, Kit jumps in to get the child's toy. This behavior shocks everyone, which baffles Kit. Apparently it is a belief that a woman who manages to stay afloat in the water is a witch. This incident gives Kit her first inkling that life in the Colonies will be quite different from that in Barbados.

When she arrives in Wethersfield, her aunt and uncle are very surprised, but not overjoyed to see her. Wethersfield is a Puritan settlement. Her Uncle Matthew is a somber man who does not approve of Kit's frivolous clothes and easy manner. Her hardworking Aunt Rachel is kinder to Kit. The young girl finds out that she has two cousins, Mercy and Judith. Mercy is a very sweet girl, who has been crippled through fever as a child. Judith, on the other hand, is a high-spirited girl and a bit self-centered. They are both approximately the same age as Kit.

Kit has a hard time adapting to the Puritan New England society. Not only is everybody very severe, but also the work is very hard, and the weather harsh and cold. She stuck out like a sore thumb because of the colorful clothes she wore. Everything is dull and drab compared to her sunny Barbados.

Kit unwittingly attracted the attentions of the town's most eligible bachelor, William Ashby. William Ashby asked Kit's uncle's permission to court her. John Holbrook also take to visiting the house frequently, and Judith believed this is on her account. In fact, John is in love with Mercy, and Mercy is secretly in love with him. As there is trouble brewing in Massachusetts with the Indians, John joined the militia and went to fight.

Free spirited Kit strikes up a friendship with an older lady named Hannah Tupper, who lived in a hut on the outskirts of town, in the meadow near Blackbird Pond. Hannah is a Quaker and considered a witch by the Puritans. Kit has been forbidden to have anything to do with Hannah, but she became very fond of the older lady. Soon she discovered that Nat Eaton is also a friend of Hannah's, and he visited her every time his boat anchored in Wethersfield. Kit also began taking shy little Prudence Cruff to Hannah's. There, she taught the child to read and write.

In the background of the main plot, there are political stirrings in the settlement. The Colonists are divided between those who supported England's King James, and those who felt that the Colonies should have the right to keep their own charter and be more independent.

A serious fever broke out in the town. Most of the families have someone ill, and a few children die. The townspeople have to find somewhere to vent their frustrations, someone to blame. An enraged crowd made its way down to Hannah's house. Upon finding out what is happening, Kit runs to Hannah's house to help her escape. The crowd burns Hannah's hut down. Luckily, Nat's ship is just making its way up the river. Kit and Nat manage to get Hannah onto the boat and to safety.

Hannah reaches safety, as Nat takes her to his grandmother's house. The townspeople, however, discover that Kit has been a frequent visitor at Hannah's house. They arrest Kit and hold her up for trial as a witch. This is a serious charge and can be punishable by death. Nat and Prudence testify in Kit's defense. They prove that Kit has been teaching Prudence how to read, and not witchcraft as has been believed. Their testimony helps free Kit of the serious charges against her.

Nat has heard that William is courting Kit. Thinking that Kit is going to marry William, Nat leaves and returns to his boat. After the trial, however, Kit realizes that she has deeper feelings for Nat. She turns down William's marriage proposal. William turns his attentions to Judith, with whom he has more in common. To everyone's joy, John Holbrook returns and declares his love for Mercy.

When Nat returns from one of his journeys, he is delighted to finds that Kit has not married William. Nat has acquired his own boat and now is his own captain. He has named the boat 'Witch', in honor of Kit. They realize that they are in love. The future holds much time spent at sea for them, and frequent trips to Barbados.