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Rating: 
Summary: Exciting and Educational
Review: As a lover of historical fiction and a student of colonial North America, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Originally written in 1946, "Madeleine Takes Command" is a true story of the 17th century Canadian frontier. With her parents away, it is up to 14 year old Madeleine de Vercheres and her two younger brothers to lead the defense of a small outpost against a surprise Mohawk attack. Based on actual events, this book gives us comfortable moderns a harrowing glimpse into the rough and perilous past.The characters are charming, sympathetic, and perfectly in keeping with those real people described in the Jesuit Relations and other primary sources of the time period. Though Madeleine is truly a courageous figure, at no time does she become "Xena, warrior princess," performing impossible feats of physical strength. Instead, she is able to preserve the family homestead with quick thinking, tireless energy, steady resolve, self-denial, an optimistic spirit, and devotion to family. This Bethlehem reprint is attractively presented and includes a dozen or so illustrations. It's perfect for kids ages 10 and up, and also an enjoyable read for an adult. It makes great supplemental reading for the study of colonial North America and is highly recommended to homeschooling parents.
Rating:
Summary: Just a lovely book. Please read it!
Review: I was very impressed with this book. The story is strong, exciting and not a bit sentimental or over done. Madeleine is a wonderful heroine. MADELEINE VERCHERE'S story is based on a true account of colonial French Canada of the 1690's. 14-year-old Madeleine is left alone with two younger brothers at the Verchere family's fort and few others when the Iroquois Indians attack. We follow the brave and determined stratagems of Madeleine and her small circle. The qualities of courage, self-sacrifice, familial love and devotion abound. (Doesn't the mere mention of those chararacter qualities make you feel desperate for our current generation??) Usually at the end of a book I'll say "yea, that was a good book but I would change this or that to make it better" I honestly can't think of anything I would change in this master re-telling of Madeleine Verchere. I wish Ethel C. Brill had written a dozen other books. She is a sharp writer and this is an excellent book.
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