A Little Wicked

“If my heart had not already been broken and scattered in the wind, I would have bawled like a newborn,” laments 12-year-old Dory MacDonald, whose Scottish clan is chased out of their peaceful glen by Redcoats, under orders from the King of England to kill the Highlanders. After Dory’s best friend and his family are murdered, her mother dies, and her father heads north, she is directed by the clan leader to travel to the New World to live with her aunt and uncle. Set in 1692, Macreery’s debut is roughly divided into three parts: Dory’s treacherous journey through Scotland to the ship, her rough ocean voyage to Massachusetts as a member of the ship’s crew (disguised as a boy), and her troubled new life in Salem during the witch trials. Dory’s mother’s cairngorm necklace and a faithful buzzard named Merlin are her only protectors. Macreery details Dory’s daily chores and abuse by many enemies, making for a grim account of historical hardships, but readers will learn a lot about resilience and Scottish identity. Ages 8–12. (BookLife)