Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Captive of Friendly Cove by Rebecca Goldfield and Mike Short



In 1803, John Jewitt found himself a lonely survivor of the ship named Boston after the local Mowachaht First Nation massacred the crew. They make John identify the decapitated heads of his crew mates, then take him as a slave because of his skills as a blacksmith. For three years, John lived with the Mowachaht, keeping a secret diary of his time, adventures, and numerous brushes with death there. This graphic novel is based on his written account.

It's not based just on John Jewitt's account though. Rebecca Goldfield interviewed decedents of the Mowachaht chief who kept John as a slave, getting the First Nations side of the story. This is a much more nuanced story than it would be if it were based solely on Jewitt's journals.

This book would be an excellent addition to a history or First Nations studies classroom. For middle school and up.

How to sell it to your teens: it's got severed heads at the beginning. You can't get much more awesome than that.

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