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caaleros's review
3.0
The Taking of Jemima Boone is the type of nonfiction that is easy to devour and pulls you into the story. Despite hearing about the name of the Boone family since I was a kid, I was completely ignorant about their history. Set at the beginning of the revolutionary war, Pearl tells the story of the Boonesboro settlement in Kentucky and the politics on the frontier. When Jemima and two other girls are captured by Indians they must do what they can to stay alive and slow the group down so that the townsmen, led by Daniel Boone, can catch up to them.
The capture and rescue of Jemima is covered in the first third of the book while the rest of it focuses on the fallout from those event and what comes after. Although Jemima is the focus of the summary and the title, she isn’t as central in the book since Pearl is focusing on what is happening around her more than on her. That being said, Pearl wrote that although Jemima’s story was popular, she was often cut out of it. Pearl made an effort to keep track of where Jemima was and what she was doing throughout the events. I appreciate Pearl’s endeavor to put Jemima back in the narrative.
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The capture and rescue of Jemima is covered in the first third of the book while the rest of it focuses on the fallout from those event and what comes after. Although Jemima is the focus of the summary and the title, she isn’t as central in the book since Pearl is focusing on what is happening around her more than on her. That being said, Pearl wrote that although Jemima’s story was popular, she was often cut out of it. Pearl made an effort to keep track of where Jemima was and what she was doing throughout the events. I appreciate Pearl’s endeavor to put Jemima back in the narrative.
*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emoryp's review
3.0
Covers an interesting tidbit of American frontier history; the author is painfully pro Daniel Boone--never questions his motives, the legitimacy of his stories, or says a critical word about him. Pearl's main claim that this kidnapping shaped the frontier seems like a bit of a stretch, but I don't know enough to definitively say.
Though Pearl does give a fair and complex voice to Indigenous voices throughout the history, his repeating of sq*** is unacceptable.
Though Pearl does give a fair and complex voice to Indigenous voices throughout the history, his repeating of sq*** is unacceptable.
craigmchenry's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
littlelady_28's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those books that for me was not exactly what I was expecting and not exactly what I wanted. But I'll admit this is partially my fault, since by the time this became available to me on Libby I had forgotten the synopsis and thought that the entire book centered around Jemima Boone and her kidnapping. In reality, the kidnapping plot point was over and done with before the book was even half over. The rest of the book discussed the contention between the settlers and Native Americans, Daniel Boone's kidnapping and eventual escape from the Native Americans, and the siege on the fort that he and Jemima helped defend.
All that being said, it was an interesting story and I enjoy reading about that time in history, but for some reason it was hard for me to get invested in this book. Overall I give it a 7 out of 10 and a C+. Not great, not bad, just...fine.
All that being said, it was an interesting story and I enjoy reading about that time in history, but for some reason it was hard for me to get invested in this book. Overall I give it a 7 out of 10 and a C+. Not great, not bad, just...fine.
susanp's review
3.0
I expected a book about Jemima Boone, but this was mostly about her father, Daniel Boone; and though it was supposed to be non-fiction, it contained a lot of unverified innuendo.
liberrydude's review
4.0
The title is more of a lure. It should really be called “Three Years in Kentucky.” A fascinating look at relations between whites and natives from 1775-1778 beyond the frontier.
The advance guard of settlers had a real problem with authority. Freedom and liberty meant doing whatever you felt like doing. Who we now call explorers were nothing more than trespassers disavowed by Crown authorities. Their selfish pursuit of land and adventure endangered settlers in Virginia and throughout the thirteen colonies.
Boone is quite the enigma. A small man with a command presence who spoke Shawnee fluently and had a skill set that would make Bear Grylls look effete. He was kidnapped by the Indians and presumed dead. He was adopted into the tribe and treated with love and respect. He escaped to his fort, Boonesboro, to warn of the coming Indian attack orchestrated by the British. His personal ties with the Shawnee chief, Blackfish, almost resulted in a peaceful conclusion to the siege. However, afterwards he was the subject of trial by court martial by jealous and ignorant peers.
Blackfish and Boone I think thought the two peoples could live in peace but they were in a minority and paid for it. Boone left the colony he founded for Missouri. He was not interested in wealth but lived a long life of experiences and probably one of regrets.
Interesting too that Indians were taken hostage at Fort Randolph in Point Pleasant, WV. After a soldier was killed outside the fort while hunting by Indians the militia troops mutinied and killed the Indian hostages, one of whom, Cornstalk, was a chief and a proponent of peace. The soldiers were eventually taken to trial in Virginia for murder and all were acquitted! So much for American justice. Who were the savages?
The advance guard of settlers had a real problem with authority. Freedom and liberty meant doing whatever you felt like doing. Who we now call explorers were nothing more than trespassers disavowed by Crown authorities. Their selfish pursuit of land and adventure endangered settlers in Virginia and throughout the thirteen colonies.
Boone is quite the enigma. A small man with a command presence who spoke Shawnee fluently and had a skill set that would make Bear Grylls look effete. He was kidnapped by the Indians and presumed dead. He was adopted into the tribe and treated with love and respect. He escaped to his fort, Boonesboro, to warn of the coming Indian attack orchestrated by the British. His personal ties with the Shawnee chief, Blackfish, almost resulted in a peaceful conclusion to the siege. However, afterwards he was the subject of trial by court martial by jealous and ignorant peers.
Blackfish and Boone I think thought the two peoples could live in peace but they were in a minority and paid for it. Boone left the colony he founded for Missouri. He was not interested in wealth but lived a long life of experiences and probably one of regrets.
Interesting too that Indians were taken hostage at Fort Randolph in Point Pleasant, WV. After a soldier was killed outside the fort while hunting by Indians the militia troops mutinied and killed the Indian hostages, one of whom, Cornstalk, was a chief and a proponent of peace. The soldiers were eventually taken to trial in Virginia for murder and all were acquitted! So much for American justice. Who were the savages?