''The Courage of Sarah Noble'' by

Alice Dalgliesh Alice Dalgliesh (October 7, 1893 – June 11, 1979) was a naturalized American writer and publisher who wrote more than 40 fiction and non-fiction books, mainly for children. She has been called "a pioneer in the field of children's historical fi ...

is the story of a young girl who travels with her father into

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

during the early 18th century, and her experiences with the native Schaghticoke. It was published in 1954 and received a

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People *Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver *David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot *Francis Newbery (disambiguation), seve ...

Award.

The story

Sarah accompanies her father in his journey to set up their farm in a newly purchased plot in New Milford. Once they arrive, Sarah and her father begin scouting the land he has bought. They are approached by the people who lived there, the Schaghticoke. Sarah is frightened because of rumors she has heard from children about the "Indians" they would encounter, but finds that the Schaghticoke are friendly to her and her father. They teach them the things they will need to know to survive. In the story, Sarah gives the "Indians" new Christian names, and is given credit as the first teacher in New Milford.

History

Alice Dalgliesh begins the book with an author's note. In the note, she explicitly states that this is a "true story" and makes a reference to "records" of events. There is still much research that needs to be completed to verify the "facts" presented in this book. As it stands, the New Milford Historical Society holds the majority of the resources for this research. Currently, there is research under way to study the sources that have made this book a mainstay in the education system.

Controversy

''The Courage of Sarah Noble'' was published in 1954. Today there is controversy about the treatment of the Native Americans in this book. Some people feel that because the story is so widely used in school curriculum, the criticisms are ignored. The controversy surrounding the story was also linked to some dissatisfaction about a statue erected for Sarah Noble.

Reception

The New York Times Book Review said of ''The Courage of Sarah Noble'' "This story is one to be long remembered for its beautiful simplicity and dignity." The ''American'' lists it among their best books for 1954 for juveniles to read. Reviewer

Anita Silvey Anita Silvey is an author, editor, and literary critic in the genre of children’s literature. Born in 1947 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Silvey has served as Editor-in-Chief of ''The Horn Book Magazine'' and as vice-president at Houghton Mifflin ...

appreciates Sarah's character when she calls her "a protagonist strong enough to accompany her father into the wilderness to build a new cabin for their family and to remain there alone when Father goes back for the rest of the family."Silvey, Anita (editor), ''The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators'', Houghton Mifflin, 2002, pg. 90; Despite this praise, the book has been criticized. The review from Oyate is much more detailed in its analysis of content, citing that "''The Courage of Sarah Noble'' was published in 1954, and it is very much a product of its time—a time that has come and gone."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Courage Of Sarah Noble, The 1954 American novels American children's novels Children's historical novels Novels set in Connecticut New Milford, Connecticut Charles Scribner's Sons books 1954 children's books Schaghticoke tribe Children's books set in Connecticut Children's books about Native Americans