I couldn’t resist picking up Joseph Bruchac’s Pocahontas. Although fictionalized, it is obvious from the complexity of the story that Bruchac did research into the John Smith and Pocahontas story. I loved the alternating viewpoints: one chapter was Pocahontas’ narration, and the next would be Captain John Smith’s. Their voices were unique. I really enjoyed seeing how the same event was interpreted in such different ways by the two groups.
Bruchac is himself of Native American heritage, and his sensitivity to the complexity of the situation gave him amble motive to get it right. He also has an afterward noting the sources he referenced.
Pocahontas is a well rounded historical fiction that examines the complex and dynamic friendship that Captain Smith and Pocahontas developed. I highly recommend this book for the strong middle school reader or the young adult interested in Pocahontas.
Our homeschool American History learning happened to correlate to the Thanksgiving Holiday! We recently finished learning about the pilgrims, which works out very well for us since we’re taking the next week slow, as a holiday from lots of school work. But before we got the pilgrims, though, we read a few books about Jamestown. I did not read this one with my five-year-old son, of course, but it was a welcome addition to my own historical education.
