Skip to main content

Favorite Daughter, Part One by Paula Margulies: A Book Review

Favorite Daughter, Part One
Author: Paula Margulies
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: One People Press
Release Date: 2014
Pages: 194
Source: This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A young girl faces a dangerous and changing world...

Set in the time of the Jamestown settlement and the English explorer John Smith, Favorite Daughter, Part One recounts the story of Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, as she prepares to take her place as one of our nation's earliest leading women. Pocahontas invites readers to experience her native world when strangers appear on the shores near her village. From forging a relationship with the charismatic Smith, to experiencing love for the first time and creating a role for herself in her father’s plans for peace, this young girl takes us on a poignant and harrowing journey through the turbulent events of her life. Eventually betrayed by all of the men she loves, Pocahontas matures into a heroine of tremendous nobility, courage, and heart. 

Told in first person, in a voice brimming with compassion and wisdom, Favorite Daughter, Part One provides a compelling look at the early days of one of the most remarkable legends in American history. 

Editor’s Choice Award Winner, 24th Annual San Diego State University Writers’ Conference

     My Review: The legend of Pocahontas is most well-known as an Indian princess who saved the life of an Englishman, John Smith, who was an Indian hostage. Her story was first written by John Smith and has been romanticized through generations. The most popular version of the story is the Disney movie, Pocahontas released in 1995. However, Paula Margulies’s Favorite Daughter, Part One tells the legend of Pocahontas from the Native American perspective. In this story the tale is retold by Pocahontas herself as she tells her side of events of the time when John Smith and his crew first settled in America.

     The story starts when John Smith has landed in America and formed Jamestown. Pocahontas and her people are fascinated by these mysterious men whom they have never seen before. When John Smith is suddenly taken hostage by her people, Pocahontas becomes attracted to him and wants to learn more about him. Slowly, John Smith and Pocahontas form a slow friendship and together they teach their language and customs to each other. There, Pocahontas embarks on a mission of peace between the English and her tribe.

      I found the setting of Pocahontas’s tribe to be very beautiful. It is clear that the author understands a lot about Native American culture for she writes it eloquently by describing their customs and language. I was fascinated with how she makes their world come alive. I also liked how she portrayed Jamestown, as a town that is starving and does not have enough supplies to survive. Yet, some of these men, like John Smith, are interested in the Native American  language and customs and would like to make an alliance with them. 

     What I found most fascinating was Pocahontas. She is a strong-willed person, who loves her home and respects nature. She is a bit tomboyish and adventurous. She is curious about not only the English settlers, but their home. She wants to go to England and see what it is like. She is also selfless and is willing to give up her life to save John Smith. She is also a woman of influence because her father listens to her advice and follows it. It is clear that Pocahontas is a leader and she never stops working on her mission to make peace with the English.

     Overall, the themes of this book are about family, love, honor, and sacrifice. It is about a woman’s never-ending quest for peace. This book shows what a strong person Pocahontas really was. I can’t wait to read Favorite Daughter, Part Two, which comes out in July 2016. I recommend this book to anyone interested not only in one of America’s first leading woman, but also to those interested in learning about Native American culture. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Comments

  1. Thanks so much for the kind review, Lauralee! I'm glad you enjoyed the book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your welcome. It is a really good book.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Melanie Karsak

Today, I have the pleasure of having an interview with Melanie Karsak! I have read and enjoyed her many series of books on some of history's more obscure or misunderstood women. Often, little is known about their true histories, either from not being recorded because of their gender and the unimportance given to women or else intentional character assassination. Mrs. Karsak seeks to bring light where much is shrouded in darkness. As a result, we are enriched by their lives and these fascinating women can speak to us through the centuries. In this interview, Mrs. Karsak talks about what drew her to these women and her writing pro cess! Thank you Mrs. Karsak! You have written books on Lady MacBeth, Hervor, Queen Boudica, Queen Cartimandua, and now Freydis. What drew you to write about these women? I like the unsung and maligned heroines. Hervor is a significant character in the Norse Hervarar Saga . In fact, there are two Hervors in that tale—grandmother and granddaughter. But

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki: A Book Review

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post Author: Allison Pataki Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Ballantine Release Date: February 15, 2022 Pages: 381 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . . So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar’s treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood’s biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweath

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn: A Book Review

The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Harper Collins Release Date: 2021 Pages: 635 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: 1940, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire.        Three very different women are recruited to the mysterious Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes.       Vivacious debutante Osla has the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses – but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, working to translate decoded enemy secrets. Self-made Mab masters the legendary codebreaking machines as she conceals old wounds and the poverty of her East-End London upbringing. And shy local girl Beth is the outsider who trains as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts.       1947, London.        Seven years after they first meet, on the eve of the royal wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, disaster threatens. Osla, Mab and Beth are estranged,