The Iron Peacock

I adored this book when I was in school, and I think I’ve reread it at least once since my school days. When looking for a book to fit a reading challenge recently, I remembered this, and since I’ve been wanting to reread it anyway, this was an easy pick.

One of the biggest things I remembered from this story was that it was a lot more romantic than a lot of my other school books. It was interesting to come back to it now as an adult, and realize that aspect isn’t quite as pronounced as I remember it—but what’s there is certainly just as sweet as I remembered!

I also realized that this is the book that made me fall in love with Scottish culture (at least in the bookish form). Haha!

If you’re looking for a book that shows what show more colonial America was like, I’d highly recommend you check out this story. It’s sweet, but it also shows the plights of indentured servants. I was surprised again to remember just how hard life was at that time; the dangers these people faced, both from wild animals and hostile Indians, were intense. I also loved how this showed life from the perspectives of the Indians, too, to some extent; that was an important point in this book, even if it wasn’t the main focus of the story. An excellent read! show less

3.5
tis a good book. Definitely a lot of Indigenous stereotypes etc but different historical content from a lot of American settler novels (I did not know abt the iron works or the Scottish prisoners). Lowkey felt a little like a dime novel at times with the action-adventure segments. Joanna didn't have a lot of personality to me but I liked her anyway loll big fan of Ross and Maura and Duncan. I think the whole "this family needs love and you need to help provide it" is a good plotline but I don't know that we really Saw the change ykwim. Fun & lots to talk about historically, but there's not a lot of depth to the characters.

1000th book I’ve marked as read on GR btw what in heck

This one the tale of a young woman, Joanna, who is fleeing from Oliver Cromwell's England with her father. Her father dies on the journey over to New England and upon arrival in Bostaon, she finds herself sold as an indentured servant to cover the cost of their fare. Her service is bought by a Mr. John Gifford, owner of the iron works in the village of Hammersmith. The rest of the book tells the tale of Joanna's adjustment to life as a bondservant in a new settlement in North America. The story itself is somewhat mediocre and quite predictable in places. The characterization is a bit better, but what really makes the book worth checking out is the setting. Ms. Clarke does a good job of making the surroundings come alive, from the show more forests of Massachusetts to the life of a outsider amongst a community of Puritans. Colonial America in the mid 17th Century is not an era which with I'm familiar. Most history books tend to jump from the landing of the Mayflower to the Revolutionary War. This was an interesting peek into a time in between, as the immigrants slowly began to put down roots and a new society began to form.
--J. show less

Joanna Sprague's happy life in England is shattered on a bleak and storm day in 1650 when her father is buried at sea.

Now, at the age of 16, penniless and alone, Joanna faces life as a kitchen maid in the household of the Iron Master, John Gifford.

The strict Puritan way of life at Hammersmith provides her no comfort. Through hard work and perseverance can she become whole when she feels most unsure?

Recommended because I enjoyed The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Not quite as good as said book, but nicely done.