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Will Poole's Island
New England, 1643. A meeting in the forest between a rebellious young Englishman and a visionary Wampanoag leads to a dangerous collision of societies, an epic sea journey, and the making of an unforgettable friendship.
“Immersive . . . This riveting portrayal of early Colonial New England shines a speculative but compelling light on the time and place.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Tim Weed’s Will Poole’s Island is a doorway to an earlier world when the United States existed as a borderless tract of land whose dimensions could hardly be imagined. This is a superb novel, written with truth and daring at its core.” — Joseph Monninger, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and author of The World as We Know It
“It’s been so long since I felt like a little girl in love with books again. Treasure Island, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Yearling, lazing around on a spot of sunshine totally engrossed in this other, historical world, that’s how I feel about Will Poole’s Island.” — Suzanne Kingsbury, author of The Summer Fletcher Greel Loved Me
“Weed writes colorfully and with feeling, drawing readers into Will’s and Squamiset’s lives and making his characters believable and human . . . Will Poole’s Island does several things and does them well. It is a sweet coming-of-age story, a riveting adventure tale, an insightful analysis of a difficult time in American history and an eloquent plea for understanding among all peoples.” — The Recorder, Greenfield, Mass.
“Immersive . . . This riveting portrayal of early Colonial New England shines a speculative but compelling light on the time and place.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Tim Weed’s Will Poole’s Island is a doorway to an earlier world when the United States existed as a borderless tract of land whose dimensions could hardly be imagined. This is a superb novel, written with truth and daring at its core.” — Joseph Monninger, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and author of The World as We Know It
“It’s been so long since I felt like a little girl in love with books again. Treasure Island, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Yearling, lazing around on a spot of sunshine totally engrossed in this other, historical world, that’s how I feel about Will Poole’s Island.” — Suzanne Kingsbury, author of The Summer Fletcher Greel Loved Me
“Weed writes colorfully and with feeling, drawing readers into Will’s and Squamiset’s lives and making his characters believable and human . . . Will Poole’s Island does several things and does them well. It is a sweet coming-of-age story, a riveting adventure tale, an insightful analysis of a difficult time in American history and an eloquent plea for understanding among all peoples.” — The Recorder, Greenfield, Mass.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2014
8 people are currently reading
1258 people want to read
About the author
Tim Weed
5 books196 followers Tim Weed is the author of four books of fiction. His recent novel, The Afterlife Project, was a best books of 2025 pick from Library Journal and the Toronto Star. He’s won multiple Writer’s Digest Annual Fiction Awards and his work has been shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Tobias Wolff Award for Fiction, the Prism Prize for Climate Literature, the Fish International Short Story Award, the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Award for a Novel-in-Progress, the New Rivers Many Voices Project, and many others. Tim's essays and articles have appeared in Writers Digest, Literary Hub, The Revelator, The Millions, The Writer’s Chronicle, Talking Points Memo, The Good Men Project, and elsewhere.
Read more at the author's official website.
Read more at the author's official website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 10, 2015
Reading this novel while on vacation in Nantucket added a certain "realness" to the narrative. And since they roll up the streets on the Fog Island around 7:00 pm in the springtime I had ample time to devote to Will Poole and his clash with the Puritan establishment of 17th Century New England.
Incidentally, I bought the book at Mitchell's Book Corner in Nantucket. The title was instantly recognized by the booksellers there who stayed after closing time (6 p.m.) to look for a copy for this traveler in need of diversion. Luckily they found the book in a display upstairs.
I was initially a bit confused (like the sailors in Nantucket's current day "Figawi" race) because, although I had developed a notion that this was a Nantucket novel, the early chapters are set in Connecticut, in a settlement that resembles New Haven. As a graduate of Yale, however, I was just as interested in this portrait of Puritan days in New Haven as in the Nantucket sections of the novel.
The first few chapters were, for me, the strongest, as Will's clash with his family servant turned guardian is described. I don't think I've ever come across this particular family dynamic in fiction before but, apparently, servants ending up with the family fortune was not unheard of in early New England and this very fate befell the author's ancestors. The perfect anthropomorphism of the first sentence of the novel ("Will Poole's bed had grown smaller overnight.") suggests both the changes happening to Will's body and his discomfort within the confines of the English settlement's palisades.
Weed has a wonderful facility for describing clothes, beards, hairstyles and weapons, both English and Native American, that contributes propulsion and depth to the narrative rather than weighing it down. Here's his description of an encounter between the English and those they considered savages: "Seven English militiamen faced the assembled Musqunnipuck in the central courtyard of the village. The English wore brass corselets strapped across their chests. They had boat-shaped helmets and cutlasses stuck in their belts. One carried a trumpet-barreled gun, a blunderbuss, and three other held pikes, long spearlike weapons with sharpened steel blades that glinted menacingly in the sun." These English are a militia, not supplicant pilgrims, and this is an adventure story, with a couple of easy to hate villains who pursue Will and his seer until nearly the last pages.
Weed impresses the reader with the power of his writing and the clarity of his historical vision with sentences like this: "It was a proper English village nervously toeing the edge of the American wilderness: quiet, self-contained, and armed to the teeth." By the time Will and his companions reach Nantucket we are ready for a vacation from all the action, and the pleasant if temporary respite there provides a beautiful picture of a still thriving native population and its sustainable agricultural practices, foods like clam broth and corn cakes with cranberries that would earn raves on Yelp and ball games with goals made from whale jaws. This is still recognizably the natural Nantucket of today, with its moors and its "undulating yellow -green hills tinged scarlet with the dying leaves of blueberry and huckleberry and other heathland shrubs."
Weed's novel should immediately be regarded as one of the great Nantucket books for its creator's ability to capture what is timeless about the island. I have had a vision, like the ones experienced by Will and Squamiset, although not one brought on by herbs or visitations from duck or osprey mishoons. My glimpse of the future, bestowed on me by a long life of novel reading, is that Will Poole's Island will come to be regarded as a classic of historical fiction.
Incidentally, I bought the book at Mitchell's Book Corner in Nantucket. The title was instantly recognized by the booksellers there who stayed after closing time (6 p.m.) to look for a copy for this traveler in need of diversion. Luckily they found the book in a display upstairs.
I was initially a bit confused (like the sailors in Nantucket's current day "Figawi" race) because, although I had developed a notion that this was a Nantucket novel, the early chapters are set in Connecticut, in a settlement that resembles New Haven. As a graduate of Yale, however, I was just as interested in this portrait of Puritan days in New Haven as in the Nantucket sections of the novel.
The first few chapters were, for me, the strongest, as Will's clash with his family servant turned guardian is described. I don't think I've ever come across this particular family dynamic in fiction before but, apparently, servants ending up with the family fortune was not unheard of in early New England and this very fate befell the author's ancestors. The perfect anthropomorphism of the first sentence of the novel ("Will Poole's bed had grown smaller overnight.") suggests both the changes happening to Will's body and his discomfort within the confines of the English settlement's palisades.
Weed has a wonderful facility for describing clothes, beards, hairstyles and weapons, both English and Native American, that contributes propulsion and depth to the narrative rather than weighing it down. Here's his description of an encounter between the English and those they considered savages: "Seven English militiamen faced the assembled Musqunnipuck in the central courtyard of the village. The English wore brass corselets strapped across their chests. They had boat-shaped helmets and cutlasses stuck in their belts. One carried a trumpet-barreled gun, a blunderbuss, and three other held pikes, long spearlike weapons with sharpened steel blades that glinted menacingly in the sun." These English are a militia, not supplicant pilgrims, and this is an adventure story, with a couple of easy to hate villains who pursue Will and his seer until nearly the last pages.
Weed impresses the reader with the power of his writing and the clarity of his historical vision with sentences like this: "It was a proper English village nervously toeing the edge of the American wilderness: quiet, self-contained, and armed to the teeth." By the time Will and his companions reach Nantucket we are ready for a vacation from all the action, and the pleasant if temporary respite there provides a beautiful picture of a still thriving native population and its sustainable agricultural practices, foods like clam broth and corn cakes with cranberries that would earn raves on Yelp and ball games with goals made from whale jaws. This is still recognizably the natural Nantucket of today, with its moors and its "undulating yellow -green hills tinged scarlet with the dying leaves of blueberry and huckleberry and other heathland shrubs."
Weed's novel should immediately be regarded as one of the great Nantucket books for its creator's ability to capture what is timeless about the island. I have had a vision, like the ones experienced by Will and Squamiset, although not one brought on by herbs or visitations from duck or osprey mishoons. My glimpse of the future, bestowed on me by a long life of novel reading, is that Will Poole's Island will come to be regarded as a classic of historical fiction.
February 26, 2020
Will Poole's Island is considered YA, but I didn't even realize that until after I read it. Tim Weed weaves a masterful tale of the clash of civilizations as represented by three strong characters. There are elements of a coming of age story with protagonist, Will Poole. Will is a teenage colonial boy who doesn't fit in the repressive society. He longs to be outside in nature, defying the mandates of his guardian and the governor of the colony. He meets a mysterious native magician who inserts himself into Will's life. Together they depart on a journey that is both a quest and a wild escape for their lives. Tim Weed is an exquisite writer who captures the texture of the natural world. Will Poole's Island explains the realities of life in early colonial times like no textbook could ever accomplish. Adventure, mysticism, and danger propel the story and enmesh the reader. As a retired history teacher, I would recommend Will Poole's Island as an outstanding supplemental novel to illuminate the lives of people in a little understood or studied period in our history.
May 14, 2017
This interesting, short novel is set in very early colonial New England, is the intimate story of an adolescent boy's trails and adventures. It includes insights on Native American as well as early colonial culture, and describes its world vividly. The language is spare but elegant, and the author does a great job of placing the reader in a world world with different rules and challenges than our own. The book deals with moral issues without moralizing or offering easy, simple answers to important questions and issues, and it does it in an engaging, convincing way. Highly recommended.
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September 12, 2018In "Will Poole's Island" Tim Weed takes the reader to places and times never before known outside the hero's imagination, which is found a little high on the nearby seashore's fog and mist. Will Poole's world is not the world as it really is. It is, in part, a creation of his own mind, a place in constant motion where things and people come and go, turn up out of nowhere as mysteriously as his own destiny turns out to be, but not in the end. The year is 1643, the place is the Colony of Connecticut, not far from the eastern seaboard.
Cramped inside an enclosed English settlement, Will ventures too far one day into the untamed woods where savages and wild predators roam and run wild. His path crosses that of a mystical figure who calls himself Squamiset. Squamiset is well educated, it turns out, and wise as well; and speaks fluent English, fears nothing, neither the Lord nor the Devil, and is wholly self-sufficient, and, living by his wits, takes young Will under his wing as he would his own son. Will it seems has been specially chosen to follow a path of destiny where along the way thistles and briars intertwine, besides strange whispers and winds and dangers man-made.
A tale of self-discovery in which in the end the hero emerges where and when he is least expected, but not by himself is he left alone. A journey well worth the ride. Suitable for both young adolescents and adults willing to hop on board and be whisked away and never returned at least in one piece.
Cramped inside an enclosed English settlement, Will ventures too far one day into the untamed woods where savages and wild predators roam and run wild. His path crosses that of a mystical figure who calls himself Squamiset. Squamiset is well educated, it turns out, and wise as well; and speaks fluent English, fears nothing, neither the Lord nor the Devil, and is wholly self-sufficient, and, living by his wits, takes young Will under his wing as he would his own son. Will it seems has been specially chosen to follow a path of destiny where along the way thistles and briars intertwine, besides strange whispers and winds and dangers man-made.
A tale of self-discovery in which in the end the hero emerges where and when he is least expected, but not by himself is he left alone. A journey well worth the ride. Suitable for both young adolescents and adults willing to hop on board and be whisked away and never returned at least in one piece.
June 27, 2017
Will Poole's Island is an enthralling adventure in a kind of North American magical realism that I haven't encountered anywhere else. The book reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea: a quietly compelling story in which young Will Poole comes of age through hardship and the teachings of a mentor with uncanny gifts. It feels completely authentic in its details of life at the coastal settlements of Puritans and Native Americans in the very early days of European occupation. Give this as a graduation gift to a young person you love or a birthday gift to one of your elders.
November 21, 2014
New England, 1643. A meeting in the forest between a rebellious young Englishman and a visionary Wampanoag leads to a dangerous collision of societies, an epic sea journey, and the making of an unforgettable friendship.
Follow the booktrail here: Will Pooles island booktrail
Story in a nutshell
Set in 17th Century New England at the time when the fledging colonies had a difficult relationship with the Native Americans, Will Poole is 17 and is living in the Puritan New Meadow Plantation. when he meets and becomes friends with Squamiset, a Native American, he begins to question his own place in life and that of his new friend as well as questioning everything around him.
Blending mixed English and Native American heritage, the conflicts of the early colonial settlements cover a lot of ground such as the rights and wrongs of colonialism and human rights above all else.
But at the centre are two innocent friends who don’t agree with society
Place and setting
“The drummer pounded out a low tattoo. Captain Hooker pulled a black executioner’s hood over his thick head, and an assistant handed Hooker a double-bladed woodman’s axe. A rippling silence fell across the crowd. A flock of ravens had slipped in to perch on the crooked Meetinghouse roof and gazed down at the crowd like scornful, black-robed judges”
Connecticut and the start of the Colonies is the fascinating backdrop to this coming of age novel which explores the landscape and a point in history as well as the Native American culture and provides a mix of history, culture and developing awareness of two young friends caught up in the middle of it all.
As Will discovers just how his future and destiny is tied up with the natives he’s met and the mystical spirits of this new world, he finds that the confinement of his home, his mind and his outlook are something he needs to break free from.
A fascinating period of American history brought to life by two innocents of very different worlds.
Follow the booktrail here: Will Pooles island booktrail
Story in a nutshell
Set in 17th Century New England at the time when the fledging colonies had a difficult relationship with the Native Americans, Will Poole is 17 and is living in the Puritan New Meadow Plantation. when he meets and becomes friends with Squamiset, a Native American, he begins to question his own place in life and that of his new friend as well as questioning everything around him.
Blending mixed English and Native American heritage, the conflicts of the early colonial settlements cover a lot of ground such as the rights and wrongs of colonialism and human rights above all else.
But at the centre are two innocent friends who don’t agree with society
Place and setting
“The drummer pounded out a low tattoo. Captain Hooker pulled a black executioner’s hood over his thick head, and an assistant handed Hooker a double-bladed woodman’s axe. A rippling silence fell across the crowd. A flock of ravens had slipped in to perch on the crooked Meetinghouse roof and gazed down at the crowd like scornful, black-robed judges”
Connecticut and the start of the Colonies is the fascinating backdrop to this coming of age novel which explores the landscape and a point in history as well as the Native American culture and provides a mix of history, culture and developing awareness of two young friends caught up in the middle of it all.
As Will discovers just how his future and destiny is tied up with the natives he’s met and the mystical spirits of this new world, he finds that the confinement of his home, his mind and his outlook are something he needs to break free from.
A fascinating period of American history brought to life by two innocents of very different worlds.
March 30, 2015
Reviewed for the Historical Novel Association Indie Reviews
Will Poole’s Island explores an unusual portion of American history – the early colonial days of the seventeenth century. At this time, tiny isolated compounds on or near the coast were protected from the wilderness outside by a powerful mixture of wooden stockades, dogmatic authority, and superstition. Will Poole rebels against these strictures, first by solitary hunting trips, and then by befriending a Native American man. This in turn leads him into areas of spirituality which are anathema to his own town leaders. The two depart on a journey in quest of an island which I imagine is in the Caribbean, though en route there is another lengthy stay on Nantucket.
The author deliberately draws in to his historical fiction elements commonly classed as fantasy. It is left to the reader to decide how far these are real, and how far delusion or hysteria. I personally liked the inclusion of these “fantasy” elements, and felt that they invited contact with the world view of the Native American groups who shared the land with the colonists. This was a world view which avoids and challenges the more rational classifications we are used to. However, some readers might not appreciate the mixture of genres. Also, there were times when use of these talents seemed too much of a “get out of jail free” card to effect resolution to a crisis.
Technically, the book has been well produced and well proof-read. The author includes a useful appendix explaining some of the background. He begins this with a quote about the meeting of world views, which I think could have been placed more powerfully at the start.
An interesting read exploring how the pursuit of personal destiny requires leaving behind the protection of one’s homeland. In parallel, it also explores the borderlands between historical fiction and fantasy.
Will Poole’s Island explores an unusual portion of American history – the early colonial days of the seventeenth century. At this time, tiny isolated compounds on or near the coast were protected from the wilderness outside by a powerful mixture of wooden stockades, dogmatic authority, and superstition. Will Poole rebels against these strictures, first by solitary hunting trips, and then by befriending a Native American man. This in turn leads him into areas of spirituality which are anathema to his own town leaders. The two depart on a journey in quest of an island which I imagine is in the Caribbean, though en route there is another lengthy stay on Nantucket.
The author deliberately draws in to his historical fiction elements commonly classed as fantasy. It is left to the reader to decide how far these are real, and how far delusion or hysteria. I personally liked the inclusion of these “fantasy” elements, and felt that they invited contact with the world view of the Native American groups who shared the land with the colonists. This was a world view which avoids and challenges the more rational classifications we are used to. However, some readers might not appreciate the mixture of genres. Also, there were times when use of these talents seemed too much of a “get out of jail free” card to effect resolution to a crisis.
Technically, the book has been well produced and well proof-read. The author includes a useful appendix explaining some of the background. He begins this with a quote about the meeting of world views, which I think could have been placed more powerfully at the start.
An interesting read exploring how the pursuit of personal destiny requires leaving behind the protection of one’s homeland. In parallel, it also explores the borderlands between historical fiction and fantasy.
June 7, 2014
Tim Weed did in Will Poole’s Island what he does best—he crafted prose that buoys you from one striking sentence to another, wishing your parents had forced you to play chess, master classical piano, or at least had parked your bouncy seat in front of Baby Einstein videos.
"The drummer pounded out a low tattoo. Captain Hooker pulled a black executioner’s hood over his thick head, and an assistant handed Hooker a double-bladed woodman’s axe. A rippling silence fell across the crowd. A flock of ravens had slipped in to perch on the crooked Meetinghouse roof and gazed down at the crowd like scornful, black-robed judges" (62).
Marveling at Weed's literary precision would be enough, but he does more than one thing best. He’s also a master of creative nonfiction. In this first novel, he managed to spin a swift tale through well-researched, fascinating historical framing. Blending a desire to connect with his own mixed English and Native American heritage, he dove right for the dramatic point of synthesis: the conflicts of the early colonial settlements. Will Poole’s coming-of-age struggle against authoritarian zealotry is skillfully subtle, yet plunges the depths of colonialism, human rights, and bigotry. By the end of the book you might even question the philosophical nature of reality in a way that challenges today’s culture. Have we progressed at all since the 17th century?
"The drummer pounded out a low tattoo. Captain Hooker pulled a black executioner’s hood over his thick head, and an assistant handed Hooker a double-bladed woodman’s axe. A rippling silence fell across the crowd. A flock of ravens had slipped in to perch on the crooked Meetinghouse roof and gazed down at the crowd like scornful, black-robed judges" (62).
Marveling at Weed's literary precision would be enough, but he does more than one thing best. He’s also a master of creative nonfiction. In this first novel, he managed to spin a swift tale through well-researched, fascinating historical framing. Blending a desire to connect with his own mixed English and Native American heritage, he dove right for the dramatic point of synthesis: the conflicts of the early colonial settlements. Will Poole’s coming-of-age struggle against authoritarian zealotry is skillfully subtle, yet plunges the depths of colonialism, human rights, and bigotry. By the end of the book you might even question the philosophical nature of reality in a way that challenges today’s culture. Have we progressed at all since the 17th century?
February 7, 2015
**I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
Will Poole's Island by Tim Weed is a descriptive adventurous tale of growth, friendship, and freedom. A fellow Goodreads user named Troy said "What starts out as a classic coming of age tale unfolds into a meditation on culture clashes, spirituality, freedom, and trust." I completely agree and I could not have said it better myself. The reader gets to go on an adventure with a 17 year old Will and his mentor/friend Squamiset, a Native American. The reader get completely immersed into the vividly described story. This happens to be why I liked this novel so much. I love when a story is so vividly described that you can clearly see it in your minds eye. I also really liked the characters. They were nicely developed and had many layers to them, even the antagonists. The only reason I did not give this story a full five out of five stars is that it starts out kind of slow, but once you get past the first couple of chapters it becomes very fast paced. I ended up finishing this in like two sittings after it got fast paced. I also really like the supernatural/paranormal aspect to Tim Weed's world, which does not overwhelm the story. I would recommend this historical fiction read to anyone. Even if you do not typically read historical fiction.
Will Poole's Island by Tim Weed is a descriptive adventurous tale of growth, friendship, and freedom. A fellow Goodreads user named Troy said "What starts out as a classic coming of age tale unfolds into a meditation on culture clashes, spirituality, freedom, and trust." I completely agree and I could not have said it better myself. The reader gets to go on an adventure with a 17 year old Will and his mentor/friend Squamiset, a Native American. The reader get completely immersed into the vividly described story. This happens to be why I liked this novel so much. I love when a story is so vividly described that you can clearly see it in your minds eye. I also really liked the characters. They were nicely developed and had many layers to them, even the antagonists. The only reason I did not give this story a full five out of five stars is that it starts out kind of slow, but once you get past the first couple of chapters it becomes very fast paced. I ended up finishing this in like two sittings after it got fast paced. I also really like the supernatural/paranormal aspect to Tim Weed's world, which does not overwhelm the story. I would recommend this historical fiction read to anyone. Even if you do not typically read historical fiction.
June 21, 2014
This book takes place in the sixteenth century, We meet Will Poole, who we learn is an orphan, his parents are dead and he is in the custody of a former servant of the Poole's. Apparently, James overlocke will be in charge of will's inheritance until he is of age, but we quickly learn that Overlocke is not looking out for the best interest of will but his own. I think for me Overlocke was the worse of villains in this story. Will belongs to this Puritan community, but he has never felt like he has truly belonged. He then meets this Indian named Squamiset, who is called *Old Judas* by the people in will's community. When the leaders of Will's community learn of the friendship he has developed with Squamiset, his life is placed in danger and he has to flee. Will's time with Squamiset teaches him a lot of things, his own inner power, a sense of family which he has not had sense his parents died and his brother Zeke left. I thought this book was really good. I really enjoyed reading it. I would recommend to anyone.
October 3, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed Tim Weed’s excellently wordsmithed WILL POOLE’S ISLAND. With a strong sense of history, it provides a sense of the Puritan religion countered by Native American spirituality and mythic ethos.
Will’s evolving sense of independence and rebellion against the deleterious narrow parameters of his own Puritan community lead him to a mind-broadening education and increasing respect and admiration for Mother Nature via his evolving relationship with his wise Wampanoag mentor, Squamiset.
The rousing adventures of these two citizens of differing cultures make for informative and entertaining reading. I highly recommend this Cap Cod and Islands-sited superbly written piece of historical fiction. And I look forward to the arrival to our literary shores of Tim’s next novel.
Will’s evolving sense of independence and rebellion against the deleterious narrow parameters of his own Puritan community lead him to a mind-broadening education and increasing respect and admiration for Mother Nature via his evolving relationship with his wise Wampanoag mentor, Squamiset.
The rousing adventures of these two citizens of differing cultures make for informative and entertaining reading. I highly recommend this Cap Cod and Islands-sited superbly written piece of historical fiction. And I look forward to the arrival to our literary shores of Tim’s next novel.
August 8, 2015
As an American history major, I felt that I was given too many facts about 17th century colonial America. I wanted flesh-and-blood. Weed has done this and more. Readers of YA will be pulled in by the adventures winding though the chapters. While they're gasping and listening to their hearts pound, they'll get a good amount of the context on both the English and Indian sides of the events. All of the writing is vivid. Even the mythological elements seem real. The epilogue and Author's Note offer important information to interested readers. If I were still teaching, I'd find a way to weave in this compelling novel as part of the study of North American geography. No doubt teachers of the colonial period and other studies will find this a valuable support to the curriculum.
July 1, 2015
In "Will Poole's Island," Tim Weed weaves a historical tale of intrigue, betrayal, and unlikely friendship. While providing a glimpse into Puritan life and superstitions, this short novel also includes elements of magical realism that make the reader question the line between fantasy and reality. By turns compelling and heartbreaking, this story is an interesting addition to the genre of historical fiction.
November 29, 2014
Excellent book! This is historical fiction for young adults but, a great book for adults too. Takes place in the 17th century and gives you a good understanding of the native Americans and the British settlers. I did question some of the supernatural features but, it added another feature to the story.
March 8, 2015
Fantastic piece. The imagery created by Tim Weed is amazing. The story is believable and the characters very well developed. The descriptions of places and people are so poetically delivered that I found myself lost in them. The mystical elements woven into the story enhance this tale of a young man's life journey, and the life journey of his spiritual guide.
February 18, 2015
A novella-length, meticulously researched, beautifully written story of an orphaned boy in Colonial New England. The historical detail here is top notch - clothing, boats, everything Native American. I'd read whatever Tim Weed writes next.
April 17, 2016
I'm not normally a historical fiction fan but I really enjoyed this book and got pulled in instantly. Looked three weaving of adventure, history and native spirituality. I look forward to Tim's next novel!
November 19, 2016
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads.
A captivating story, filled with beath taking adventure in the life of Will Poole and the Indians he met inthe forest near the English settlement in the mid 1600's.
He was severly punished for his way fo life.
Great story!!
A captivating story, filled with beath taking adventure in the life of Will Poole and the Indians he met inthe forest near the English settlement in the mid 1600's.
He was severly punished for his way fo life.
Great story!!
August 2, 2014
I loved this book. It is so richly and vividly written. I was hooked immediately. Superb, Tim Weed, really exceptional.
November 9, 2014
Well-written and page-turning historical fiction. A gem of a read!
November 14, 2016
Wonderful novella. Lots of historical detail, which I love. Beautiful story. Definitely recommend.
December 29, 2018
Set in 1643 colonial New England, Will Poole was born a gentlemen’s son, but his parents are dead, and his brother is a trader out on the seas. He finds himself suffocating in the strict Puritan way of life in the New Meadow settlement and quite under the thumb of his guardian Overlock. Will finds release spending time in the wilderness outside the palisade enclosure, where he meets and befriends an Indian called Squamiset. They find themselves on the run and their adventures take them over many miles of the New England Coast line. The aspects of nature that the author captures are wonderful, especially of the coastal waters and of the island (Nantucket). Also, you really feel the vastness and how it was for the colonists who lived in settlements on the fringes of the uncharted wilderness.
This story has some mystical and spirit world aspects to it, and folklore of the Misquinnipack Indians (and other tribes), which I enjoyed, but some may not if they are looking for a more historical account.
This was something way out of my wheelhouse, but enjoyed it and I very much liked this new author’s writing style. One of my favorite parts is when Will is remembering a time when he was a young boy running through the forest with the local Indian boys. The forest scene was written vividly. When they climb a great pine tree, the detail to the climb and how he likened the boys to squirrels and jays was wonderful.
The ending felt a bit rushed, and was left open, but was ok.
This story has some mystical and spirit world aspects to it, and folklore of the Misquinnipack Indians (and other tribes), which I enjoyed, but some may not if they are looking for a more historical account.
This was something way out of my wheelhouse, but enjoyed it and I very much liked this new author’s writing style. One of my favorite parts is when Will is remembering a time when he was a young boy running through the forest with the local Indian boys. The forest scene was written vividly. When they climb a great pine tree, the detail to the climb and how he likened the boys to squirrels and jays was wonderful.
The ending felt a bit rushed, and was left open, but was ok.
May 19, 2020
"Visions of the future were always conditional. Each moment had to be survived to reach the next." Exactly how life feels whether 1643 or 2020. The journey Will Poole took us on was one of being born,having bad and good things happening to you and dealing with them as you could. Sometimes alone and sometimes with help. Will's life was surrounded by land and water and his adventures came from a time when wildness was still in existance. Settlements were few and maybe not even known about. The opportunities for new lives were what drove people to such remote places that one could escape into their own and never be found again. We today can temporarily escape but there are soo... many things connecting us that there are ways to be found. Will found his island and we can all dream of finding ours too.
June 28, 2024
Well-researched yet mythical, Tim Weed takes a seldom recounted portion of early colonial Connecticut and crafts an intriguing story about a young Englishman and an elderly shamanic Native American man.
The comparison of mythic-thinking in English and Native American worldviews, both rooted in the visionary and unseen, is a rich theme. While it has elements of an action-adventure YA novel, the theme and ending felt more mature and philosophically open-ended.
In the epilogue and author's note he describes what sparked the idea for the novel and makes it even more interesting to think about this era in between (and overshadowed by) the Puritan's arrival and the American Revolution.
The comparison of mythic-thinking in English and Native American worldviews, both rooted in the visionary and unseen, is a rich theme. While it has elements of an action-adventure YA novel, the theme and ending felt more mature and philosophically open-ended.
In the epilogue and author's note he describes what sparked the idea for the novel and makes it even more interesting to think about this era in between (and overshadowed by) the Puritan's arrival and the American Revolution.
February 25, 2022
This was a good book and if you are a fan of this genre or would like to imagine how things were way back when, I would recommend this book.
In my view, it was easy to picture the scenes and you really started to get invested in Will and his new found friend he found.
In my view, it was easy to picture the scenes and you really started to get invested in Will and his new found friend he found.
December 24, 2025
Squanto, Walter Raleigh and Peter Pan all walk onto a schooner. A delightful flight of historical fantasy that incorporates colonialism, early nautical exploration and indigenous spirituality. A singular story that only Tim Weed could have written.
January 16, 2021
Keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you there the entire time.
June 30, 2023
A wonderful tale of friendship, mysticism and the oftimes cruel colonization of America. Tim Weed has woven an unputdownable historical novel.
June 6, 2014
Will Poole’s Island captures some of the best elements of historical fiction, but also delves into the world of mysticism and the native culture that existed before the colonial settlers landed in New England.
Will Poole is an adventure seeking colonial boy who sees the world beyond the strict and often confining world of early Puritan based colonial settlers of New England. He is an orphan that now lives with his guardian, Overlock, who his former servant. While Will tries to steer clear of Overlock and his tedious chores, puritan lessons at the meetings house, and the strict social code of conduct of the New Meadow Plantation, Will has been outside the walls and into the woods. There he meets an indian seer, Squamiset who is a wanted man among the colonists. As Will befriends Squimest - he realizes how much there is to learn about the spiritual understanding that brings harmony to the woods, the sea, and the natural world. Eventually, Will is accused of fraternising the with this outlaw and is punished. When he is able to escape, Will realizes that he must put his faith and his life in the hands of the wise Squamiset. As they run through the coastline of New England, fleeing the colonist and seeking guidance and help from different tribes, these two unlikely protagonists rush headlong into adventure, brotherhood, and a newfound sense of a spiritualism that is being banished by the ever growing colonial population.
Will Poole’s Island is more than a coming of age story, it does a few things remarkably well. Starting this book, you foresee a young Will Poole and his coming of age experience. And simply put, that is what this book might feel like for a bit. The surprise, dare I say revelation in Will’s character development is not only his coming of age, but his spiritual awakening. This is important to this story as Squimeset begins teaching Will how to see the natural world, how to step out of the old world views, slow time down, blend into the world of nature, use the resources that are around him, and even believe wholeheartedly that there is a spiritual essence in all things. He teaches him about Manitoos and communicating with spirits and the heavens. It builds the foundation for Will’s desire to pull away from the colonists, to see beauty in the traditions and the lives of the indian tribes and eventually never turn back. Weed uses these mystical elements to pull us away from the cliches of colonial life and into a natural mysticism that authenticates the spiritual subplot. .
The next element which I think is very important to this book is growing tide of colonization that is coming. As the story unfolds, Will Poole’s Island does turn into a fast moving adventure story. It is fraught with a sense of urgency, desperate decisions, and connections that continually bring suspense and drama to the narrative. While Overlock and Governor Rockingham feel a bit one dimensional, they do serve their purpose as the never-bending vision of puritan corruption, never living outside the bounds of a heaven or hell. Beneath the plot there is also a growing dread that the incoming colonies are growing, pushing tribes out of their villages, causing plagues, and taking advantage negotiations and trading. Knowing in hindsight what is coming, there comes a dread that a traditional and long standing relationship with nature is about to change forever.
This book is well written and because of that, there is not a lot of wasted description or long passages about history. I admire the economy of language and the craftsmanship that makes this book very digestible by anyone interested in a good story. Nathaniel Hawthorne said that “easy reading is hard writing” and that is evident in this book.
Themes in novels can be important. Some of the most important themes are character, time, and place. In this novel, the natural world and place are the elements that make this novel vivid and emotional. Like Howard’s End and the essence of that house, this book realizes some places (not matter how much time is spent there) can hold a significant cathartic change in the characters. As Will Poole moved across this narrative, as the story concludes, the reader is left with a longing to find that place, that moment when everything is right and the everything is possible. It is a longing we all search for spiritually, geographically, and emotionally. This book proves that oppression, obstacles, fate, and the world we live in should not stop us from seeking that place. If we can’t find it right now, walk in the shoes of Will Poole and rediscover that lost island in your life. It will inspire you.
Will Poole is an adventure seeking colonial boy who sees the world beyond the strict and often confining world of early Puritan based colonial settlers of New England. He is an orphan that now lives with his guardian, Overlock, who his former servant. While Will tries to steer clear of Overlock and his tedious chores, puritan lessons at the meetings house, and the strict social code of conduct of the New Meadow Plantation, Will has been outside the walls and into the woods. There he meets an indian seer, Squamiset who is a wanted man among the colonists. As Will befriends Squimest - he realizes how much there is to learn about the spiritual understanding that brings harmony to the woods, the sea, and the natural world. Eventually, Will is accused of fraternising the with this outlaw and is punished. When he is able to escape, Will realizes that he must put his faith and his life in the hands of the wise Squamiset. As they run through the coastline of New England, fleeing the colonist and seeking guidance and help from different tribes, these two unlikely protagonists rush headlong into adventure, brotherhood, and a newfound sense of a spiritualism that is being banished by the ever growing colonial population.
Will Poole’s Island is more than a coming of age story, it does a few things remarkably well. Starting this book, you foresee a young Will Poole and his coming of age experience. And simply put, that is what this book might feel like for a bit. The surprise, dare I say revelation in Will’s character development is not only his coming of age, but his spiritual awakening. This is important to this story as Squimeset begins teaching Will how to see the natural world, how to step out of the old world views, slow time down, blend into the world of nature, use the resources that are around him, and even believe wholeheartedly that there is a spiritual essence in all things. He teaches him about Manitoos and communicating with spirits and the heavens. It builds the foundation for Will’s desire to pull away from the colonists, to see beauty in the traditions and the lives of the indian tribes and eventually never turn back. Weed uses these mystical elements to pull us away from the cliches of colonial life and into a natural mysticism that authenticates the spiritual subplot. .
The next element which I think is very important to this book is growing tide of colonization that is coming. As the story unfolds, Will Poole’s Island does turn into a fast moving adventure story. It is fraught with a sense of urgency, desperate decisions, and connections that continually bring suspense and drama to the narrative. While Overlock and Governor Rockingham feel a bit one dimensional, they do serve their purpose as the never-bending vision of puritan corruption, never living outside the bounds of a heaven or hell. Beneath the plot there is also a growing dread that the incoming colonies are growing, pushing tribes out of their villages, causing plagues, and taking advantage negotiations and trading. Knowing in hindsight what is coming, there comes a dread that a traditional and long standing relationship with nature is about to change forever.
This book is well written and because of that, there is not a lot of wasted description or long passages about history. I admire the economy of language and the craftsmanship that makes this book very digestible by anyone interested in a good story. Nathaniel Hawthorne said that “easy reading is hard writing” and that is evident in this book.
Themes in novels can be important. Some of the most important themes are character, time, and place. In this novel, the natural world and place are the elements that make this novel vivid and emotional. Like Howard’s End and the essence of that house, this book realizes some places (not matter how much time is spent there) can hold a significant cathartic change in the characters. As Will Poole moved across this narrative, as the story concludes, the reader is left with a longing to find that place, that moment when everything is right and the everything is possible. It is a longing we all search for spiritually, geographically, and emotionally. This book proves that oppression, obstacles, fate, and the world we live in should not stop us from seeking that place. If we can’t find it right now, walk in the shoes of Will Poole and rediscover that lost island in your life. It will inspire you.
February 10, 2015
Orphaned Will Poole lives in a well-off colonial community in New England in 1643, but he feels no connection to the Puritan God or to the Puritan way of life. He much prefers being in the woods, learning Indian hunting ways from an elderly sorcerer called Squamiset, who seems to have powers Will doesn’t understand. When a childhood Indian friend, Natoncks, is arrested for murder, Will knows he is innocent and tries to help, but just ends up imprisoned himself. Squamiset saves the two boys and they flee, knowing they can never return to English civilization. Squamiset knows of a hidden island the English don’t know, and they struggle their way there, finding a wonderful life among the Indians there. Will unlocks his native powers with Squamiset’s help, connecting to the Manitoo spirits that allow him second sight of a kind. But the leader of Will’s colony will not be thwarted, and the sentence for daring to live with the Indians is death; he will not be stopped until he catches Will, putting the whole hidden community into jeopardy. What will Will do?
For me this book falls into an historical magical realism category, rather than either straight historical or fantasy. In the afterward the author explains that he was trying to represent the Native American concept that mythical happenings were both real and timeless, so he was not trying to write a fantasy. I’m not a big fan of magical realism (mostly because I just don’t get it), but I did really like this one, with some reservations. Weed is a lyrical writer who creates evocative descriptions, and I think he does a great job with world-building. There’s a dreaminess to this that I’m guessing is what he was aiming for, considering the mythic elements. He also writes the colonial historical parts well, with appropriate detail, etc.
I am concerned that he’s playing to the “noble savage” stereotype in portraying the Native American communities as idylls of harmony and tradition—everything about their societies is good, everything about European societies is bad. Granted that the Native Americans were indeed the victims of the land grab, they still deserve to be represented with appropriate complexity, and not just complexity of mythological beliefs. Also, Natoncks was a cipher—a throw-away character. He was just the vehicle for Will to prove his righteousness, and I thought he deserved more than that.
Sometimes I’m bothered by main characters in this type of tale—purporting to show the Native American experience—being white, but in this instance, it only makes sense if Will is white because the author is showing the consequences for whites who chose a non-white lifestyle at the time. So that gets a pass from me. Also because the author has ancestors on both sides.
I do think the book will not appeal to kids who want a fast, easy read—I would only give this to thoughtful kids who can wade through the lyricism and appreciate it. It’s sophisticated in that way.
For me this book falls into an historical magical realism category, rather than either straight historical or fantasy. In the afterward the author explains that he was trying to represent the Native American concept that mythical happenings were both real and timeless, so he was not trying to write a fantasy. I’m not a big fan of magical realism (mostly because I just don’t get it), but I did really like this one, with some reservations. Weed is a lyrical writer who creates evocative descriptions, and I think he does a great job with world-building. There’s a dreaminess to this that I’m guessing is what he was aiming for, considering the mythic elements. He also writes the colonial historical parts well, with appropriate detail, etc.
I am concerned that he’s playing to the “noble savage” stereotype in portraying the Native American communities as idylls of harmony and tradition—everything about their societies is good, everything about European societies is bad. Granted that the Native Americans were indeed the victims of the land grab, they still deserve to be represented with appropriate complexity, and not just complexity of mythological beliefs. Also, Natoncks was a cipher—a throw-away character. He was just the vehicle for Will to prove his righteousness, and I thought he deserved more than that.
Sometimes I’m bothered by main characters in this type of tale—purporting to show the Native American experience—being white, but in this instance, it only makes sense if Will is white because the author is showing the consequences for whites who chose a non-white lifestyle at the time. So that gets a pass from me. Also because the author has ancestors on both sides.
I do think the book will not appeal to kids who want a fast, easy read—I would only give this to thoughtful kids who can wade through the lyricism and appreciate it. It’s sophisticated in that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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