Book cover for Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac

Pocahontas

2005 Released
192 Pages
2-3 Hours
★ 3.3 296 ratings
Audiobook Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
Clarion BooksISBN 9780547351056

In 1607, when John Smith and his "Coatmen" arrive in Powhatan to begin settling the colony of Virginia, their relations with the village's inhabitants are anything but warm. Pocahontas, the beloved daughter of the Powhatan chief, is just eleven, but this astute young girl plays a fateful, peaceful role in the destinies of two peoples.

Drawing from the personal journals of John Smith, American Book Award winner Joseph Bruchac reveals an important chapter of history through the eyes of two legendary figures.

Includes an afterword, a glossary, and other historical context.


What happens when the story of a nation’s beginning is told by two opposing voices?


  • Dual POV: Follow the story through the eyes of Pocahontas, an astute chief’s daughter, and Captain John Smith, an ambitious English adventurer.
  • Authentic Native American History: Discover the world of the Powhatan people, brought to life with rich cultural detail by an acclaimed Native American author.
  • Based on Primary Sources: Experience the colonists’ struggle for survival, drawn directly from the historical journals of Captain John Smith himself.
  • A Story of Cultural Clash: Witness the tense, complex, and often misunderstood first contact between two vastly different worlds in 17th century Virginia.

Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac is the author of Skeleton Man, The Return of Skeleton Man, Bearwalker, The Dark Pond, and Whisper in the Dark, as well as numerous other critically acclaimed novels, poems, and stories, many drawing on his Abenaki heritage. Mr. Bruchac and his wife, Carol, live in upstate New York, in the same house where he was raised by his grandparents. You can visit him online at www.josephbruchac.com.

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