Sorceress
Celia Rees
(Reviewer - Karrie G.)
2003 Candlewick Press
ISBN: 0763621838

A Native American teen encounters a strange warp in time after reading about the 17th century Mary Newbury.

Agnes is starting college in Boston, when she reads part of a diary & realizes, from a story passed down in her family about a white woman who had settled with the Mohawks, that she is connected to this woman accused of witchcraft.

Associate Student Reviewer Karrie G writes:

Everyone who read Celia Rees' Witch Child was taken aback by the last sentence, which was cut off. Just as we were tensely waiting to find out if the witch hunters would find Mary & torture & burn her like they did to so many others, it ended as abruptly as the first sentence had began: I am Mary...

As soon as I found out there was a sequel I wasted no time in reading it. Again, the cover shows a strangely striking young woman with eyes that make you feel a little uneasy. But she, unlike Mary, is Native-American.

In Sorceress we are introduced to another inspiring girl, this time in today's world -- Agnes, who has a gift she does not completely understand yet. Raised on the Indian reservation, where children she knew well always surrounding, she's not so quick to make friends at college. Then one day, after finishing a book called Witch Child, she has an odd experience. A vision.

After debating with herself for a while, Agnes contacts the researcher, who asks on the last page of the first book for anyone with more information to come forward. Together, they manage to get back on Mary Newbury's trail, only to discover that she may have sought refuge with her Native-American friends, Jaybird.

Now, with her aunt, a spiritual healer, Agnes begins to explore the gift she never truly accepted as real. Her aunt helps her find Mary until, just as you'd hoped, she learns of what became of Mary.

Mary did indeed, with the help of her witch mother, go back to Jaybird where she was welcomed with open arms. Soon the two fell in love & were blessed with children. By then Mary had as good as abandoned all her English ways & become a rare thing at the time, a female healer of the tribe. There is no fear of witchcraft here, no pointed fingers. For many years, she lives happily, happier than she ever was, among her “own” people.

But just as things have begun to fall into place for Mary, the English start a war with the Indians, & another tribe urges Mary's to stand up & fight beside them. She warns against it, but is outvoted & soon both her husband & son are going off to war.

Sorceress though not quite as absorbing as its predecessor, is another well-written story from Celia Rees. It does not stand very steadily on its own but as a sequel, it's very good. For anyone who was unsatisfied not knowing of Mary's fate this is certainly worth reading, if for no other reason, to stop wondering what could've happened to the ever-enchanting Mary & her friends.

More from Celia Rees: Witch Child & Pirates!
(07/18/04)

Karrie G.
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Student Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Karrie G. lives in The Netherlands. She is 15 years old, attends a Dutch Language School & is originally from Wisconsin, USA

Her favorite colors are: light blue, sea green, lavender & black!
Favorite sports are: swimming & soccer.
Favorite school subjects are: languages & creative writing class.
Favorite things to do are: playing the piano, reading, writing short stories & poetry, drawing & going to the movie theater.
The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in Europe. Most people call the Netherlands Holland & it is about the size of Connecticut, but with a lot more people, sixteen million. You may think of tulips, chocolate, windmills & wooden shoes when you think of Holland. Although there are still lots of tulips & chocolate, & there are still some windmills, you wouldn't see many people wearing clogs today.