Mercy Carter lives in Deerfield, Massachusetts a English colonies. In is 1704, when the threat of an Indian attack is very actual. But the Deerfield towns man believed with the weather so bitterly cold not even Indians would brave the freezing temperatures. But the townspeople were wrong and didn't take into consideration that the French, with whom the English are at war, could and will aid the Indians. During the night, with soldiers sleeping right in the houses with the Deerfield man, the Indians and French attack Deerfield, taking children away from their parents and loved ones, also taking some adults and randomly killing other's and their children. Forced to march over 300 miles to a Kahnawake Indian village in Canada, many could not survive the more than 40 days on the trail. Mercy's emotions run high as she fights to survive and attempts to save some of the children. Including her younger sister who dies along the way. Though out the hole time she tries to find out if her brothers are alive and where they have been taken. She dreams of the time that ransom will come. However, as time goes by she is adopted into the tribe as a daughter and finds that her adoptive Indian family is kind and caring. They teach lots of stuff like how to be happy, but most important, she learns about love and living as one with nature and the earth. Mercy Carter struggles with questions like can she come to know her new identity, especially after she learns that her father is still alive? Will her ransom come in time to save her and allow her to remain an English child? When indeed the ransom does come Mercy can not find her self to take it. she now knows she belongs with the Indians. I thought this book was unbelievable I couldn't wait to turn the page to find out what happens next. And look forward to reading further books on this topic.
By Alisha Somma
When they arrive at the camp, many are separated from their families.Mercy longs for her father, who was away during the capture.She lives with Tannhahorens' wife, Nistenha.She starts to enjoy life there because she gets to eat.It's pretty gruesome how she enjoys not wearing clothes.During her life there she prays in her mind for god to watch her.She also prays for her brothers to be safe.All this time she is hoping for ransom. One day a priest from Deerfield brings news. The french allowed him to come to the indian camp.Mercy and her friend, Joseph, come up excitedly. The priest,Father William, is appalled because they are naked and demands to see his daughter, Eunice.It is that day that made Mercy realize how indian she had become.She had made many friends and learned like an indian.She had figured out the indian language.When she goes to town to buy things with her family, she sees her cousin Mary,who has become french.Mary barely recognizes her and her adopted father calls Mercy a savage.
After a while, Mercy's family learns to trust her. Mercy decides to take advantage of their trust to ask to go to town to buy gifts.She leaves with some indian men including Tannhahorens. She meets some french sailors who seemed nice enough to take her aboard, in return for her Catholic cross necklace.Just as Mercy begins to think she's safe, a sailor tries to grab her.Tannhahorens appears and pokes his hand with a knife.Behind Tannhahorens was an army of indians, so the sailors do not fight.
Tannhahorens dies a while after that.One day someone shows up to ransom the children.Mercy wants to yell out where she is, but Nistenha stops her.She lets Mercy decide if she wants to leave and Mercy decides to stay.
The story THE RANSOM OF MERCY CATER. Tells the story of a 12 year old Mercy Carter, Who is taken captive. With her 3 brothers and 1 sister. By the Kadnawake Mohawk Indians. With the rest of the Deerfield children and some adults. When in 1704 Indians raid on the English settlement Deerfield, Mass. Out in the freezing cloud of winter they are forced to March. Stopping for no one. Finding a small boy who was the same age as March her younger sister 3 years old. Mercy finds it hard to carry two toddle. Falling more and more behind and farther away from her brothers. Mercy knows she is in danger. And March is much too fussy and cries out all the time and be for long is killed. They sleep right in the snow with no shelter above there heads. Sometimes the Indians will make a snow cave for them to sleep in but that?s about it. They hardly even make fires. And go days at a time without eating. But for mercy going a few days without food is not hard. Deerfield being a poor village goes a few days with out food all the time in hope for the lord?s praise and the gife of food growing. Her mother already dead two years be for the Indian raid and her father gone out to market be for the Indian came, Mercy feel now she only has Daniel to be strong for her bother are to far ahead of her to walk with .Mercy is at the end of the line with a boy named Eben. Who put his sister?s in the basement in hope of saving them. Only to find out that the hole village was burned. As times goes on mercy finds that learning the langue makes time go faster but doing so is a sin and Ruth reminds her about it all the time. Ruth is other captive that was taken from Deerfield. Who no matter what she does she does not get punished for it. Mercy soon learns her Indian?s name and her own Indian name as well. And is not aloud to go anywhere near her brother. Who to have there own Indian also. Her uncle walks ahead with the other man. Forces to have coaler around there necks and be tied up. So there will be no chance of a run away. When mercy feels she can?t take the huger any more knowing she has to walk all the way to Canada she finds out that the Indians have killed 20 mousses and stored them. Mercy eats heavily knowing she must stay strong lots of the captives had already been killed. The younger kids get to ride on sleds yelling the Indian words for number all day to keep them busy. Daniel too rides on the sled. But all the older captives are forced to walk still. Each by now carries a pack. Mercy finds out she will be in a village near Montréal. A French city. When they spilt up mercy is not aloud to go with her brother or Daniel. She fears she may never see them again. Now with no family the only word in Mercy head is ransom. But already slipping into Indians ways will she be able to take it if it comes? To find out if mercy will ever see her bothers again or if ransom will come, you?ll have to read the story. By: ALISHA
I found this book a bit boring in the beginning, but once Mercy and the rest of Deerfield began their forced march I was right there with her. This story unfolds in the most amazing way and I found it hard to put the story down. Each step of the story sees Mercy as she struggles to survive not only the march, but also as herself. Mercy is a strong character and the most amazing thing is that you can feel the changes in her as she slowly begins to adapt to the world around her and survive. I have read several books from a similar time frame and I adored this book for the respect that it shows to both sides of the story. This is a book that I know I will read again in the future because I enjoyed it so much. If you find it hard to get past the first few pages then skim read and keep going because the story is amazing and deserves to be finished.
This is a story based on real events and it is an amazing introduction to what it must have been like to be uprooted from the hard working ways of the Puritans who made the world around them into what they considered to be the right way - to being introduced to the world of the Indians where they were more inclined to work with the land and nature rather than force changes on the land. A fantastic read.
