When her grandfather dies, Katherine 'Kit' Tyler is forced to leave a carefree life on Barbados to go to her aunt, the only family that she has left. Kit arrives in Connecticut Colony in April of 1687 and is dismayed by the bleak landscape. Her misgivings deepen as she is introduced to the Puritan ways of her new family, and she soon finds herself at odds with Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matthew--and the entire community. When she tries to escape the oppressive surroundings of her new home, Kit encounters the Widow Tupper, a Quaker who is believed to practice witchcraft. The friendship between Kit and Widow Tupper grows, but not without consequences. Kit is accused of being a witch simply because of her association with the widow, known to all as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. 256 pages, softcover. Grades 5-8.