I really hate child prodigies in fiction. When some snot nose punk saves the day while all the adults stand around drooling, I just want to close the book and toss it. This book, however, is the child prodigy done right. Maybe it's because the story is true. The Madeleine of the title is Madeleine de Vercères, who lived in Quebec--or New France, as they called it--back in the late 17th Century. Her family lived in and oversaw a manor house and fort on the St. Lawrence River. It was a time when there was frequent skirmishes between the French settlers and the Iroquois Indians. Things had been peaceful for a season in their area, and folks around the fort were pretty relaxed. One day when Madeleine's father was off with the army and her mother had gone to Montreal to conduct some business, a band of Iroquois attacked. There were ten soldiers assigned to the fort, but only two happened to be in the fort when it fell under seige. Madeleine was the eldest member of her family at home and, despite the fact that she was only fourteen, assumed the responsibility of protecting the families that were able to reach the safety of the fort. It was a heroic tale, with the victory won not by any particular genius of the child, but rather through her determination and honor. Y'all should definitely check this one out.
--J. ( )