Trouble’s Daughter: The Story of Susanna Hutchinson, Indian Captive
by Katherine KirkpatrickDelacorte Press and Dell Yearling
Ages 10 and up
Susanna Hutchinson is nine years old in 1643, when her mother, Anne Hutchinson, has a vision that leads the family to settle in the wilderness where the Dutch and the Native tribes are at war. Anne Hutchinson is infamous throughout the Colonies for her religious freethinking, and her visions have brought the family in and out of trouble.
One horrifying afternoon, Lenape warriors massacre Susanna’s family and take her captive. Though haunted by grief, she adapts to the ways of the Lenape people. When she begins to have spirit dreams, she is terrified that she has inherited her mother’s powers. But Susanna comes to see that these powers are her destiny and the bridge between her two worlds.
Author’s Note:
“Out of all my books, Trouble’s Daughter remains everyone’s clear favorite. People like the dense descriptions of Native American life. It’s all based on the research of archaeologist Herbert T. Kraft, world expert on Lenape Indians. I was lucky to know Dr. Kraft, to study with him, and to have him help me with this book. Sometimes I think about changing careers and becoming an archaeologist. I still might do that one of these days.”
For more information about the Lenape/Delaware Indians featured in Trouble’s Daughter, read The Lenape by Herbert T. Kraft (an adult book) or Indians of Lenapehoking by Herbert C. Kraft and John T. Kraft (a children’s book).
Recommended by the New York Public Library, “Books for the Teen Age”
Featured by Scholastic’s “Tab” Book Club
“Gripping. . . although historical in setting, this is a tale of hope for young readers today.” –VOYA, 4Q Starred
“with this compelling saga, Kirkpatrick comes to the forefront as a historical novelist.” –Booklist, Starred
“Kirkpatrick tackles a sensitive subject and makes it ring true through acute details and the well-paced growth of her real-life protagonist. . . . Readers will be engrossed.” –Kirkus
“Rich and engrossing. . . . Top-notch historical fiction.” –School Library Journal