The White A Novel
The White: A Novel by Deborah Larsen, published by A.A. Knopf in 2002, is a poignant reimagining of the life of Mary Jemison, who was taken by a Shawnee raiding party at the age of sixteen in 1758. This edition, written in English and spanning 219 pages, presents an intimate narrative that explores Mary’s transformation from a captive to a member of the Seneca community. Through her experiences, the story delves into themes of identity, family, and cultural integration against the backdrop of early American history.
Readers will find a detailed account of Mary’s journey as she endures the loss of her family and adapts to her new life among the Seneca sisters who take her in. As she learns to hunt and cultivate corn, Mary, renamed Two-Falling-Voices, navigates her dual identity and ultimately marries a Delaware warrior. The narrative also highlights her friendships with former slaves and her aspiration to own land, reflecting her deep connection to both her past and her adopted culture. This exploration of resilience and belonging invites readers to engage with the complexities of cultural exchange and personal growth.
Official synopsis Publisher
“I was born a white at sea on the way to the New World … But I was taken by those whom we called Indians. Nearly speechless for a time, I was beset by terrors.” This is the voice of Mary Jemison, who, in 1758, at the age of sixteen, was taken by a Shawnee raiding party from her home near what would become Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In this intimate reimagining of her life story, Mary endures the brutal scalpings of her parents and siblings and is given to two Seneca sisters who treat her as their own-a symbolic replacement for the brother they lost to the white colonists. Renamed Two-Falling-Voices, she gradually becomes integrated into her new family, learning to assist with the hunt and to cultivate corn. She marries a Delaware warrior, raises a family in her adoptive culture, becomes friends with two former slaves, and eventually, remarkably, fulfills her lifelong dream “to own land bordered by sky, as my mother and father had once purchased woods and fields which were dappled with changing light.”
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