Trouble’s Daughter: The Story of Susanna Hutchinson, Indian Captive
Delacorte Press

Ages 11 and up
Recommended by the New York Public Library, “Books for the Teen Age”

Now available on Kindle and in a new paperback edition

“Gr. 5-8. With this compelling saga, Kirkpatrick comes to the foreground as a historical novelist. In 1663, Susanna Hutchinson, daughter of religious firebrand Anne Hutchinson, moved with her family to the wilds of Long Island so her mother would not be persecuted for her beliefs and public statements. Not long after, Lenape warriors massacre the family and take Susanna hostage. Susanna’s evolution from hostile, frightened prisoner to member of the tribe through her transition back to white society is both detailed and credible. The extended author’s note tells how Kirkpatrick did her research; it was extensive and shows in the book’s rich detail. There is even an appended list of Lenape words and pronunciations. But all the research in the world wouldn’t have helped had the telling been ineffective. Happily, Kirkpatrick not only spins a good story, she successfully makes readers understand what is happening inside Susanna’s head as she tries to come to terms with the fact that the man who murdered her mother is also her rescuer and in the tribe, her father. Readers will go through the emotional adjustment process with her, making this a book in which children do more than just view history, they see themselves.”—Ilene Cooper, Starred Review, Booklist.