Whispers of War: The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Kit Pearson has drawn on her real-life ancestors and family legends as
the basis for this fictional account of the War of 1812. The story, told
from the perspective of 11-year-old Susanna Merritt through her diary
entries, spans the months from May, when threats of war are mere rumors,
to November 1812. The book is designed to resemble an actual diary,
complete with the ribbon page marker.

The entries provide a vivid picture of life for Susanna and for her
relatively affluent Loyalist family (her father received a land grant
from Governor Simcoe as well as being appointed Sheriff of Niagara).
They live in a large frame house and enjoy luxuries not available to
many newcomers, such as their neighbors, the Seabrooks from Connecticut,
whose log house is small and dark. Susanna’s descriptions of dinner
consisting of potatoes, turnips, applesauce, and “delicious” roasted
porcupine, her mention of brother Hamilton’s recent acquisition (“a
thin piece of wood with bristles in it, for cleaning his teeth”), and
her obvious disdain for romance will amuse and delight young readers.

While much that Susanna writes deals with her everyday comings and
goings, it shows clearly how terrifying the prospect of war is for
Susanna and her schoolmates. The confusion caused by conflicting
loyalties is equally troubling. How can settlers who came to Upper
Canada from the United States or who have relatives living there, all of
a sudden fight against them? A bewildered Susanna comments, “How very
strange, to be one minute friends and the next, enemies.” Finally,
Susanna’s diary reminds us of the horrors of war—the injuries, the
maimings, the deaths.

Susanna, like Kit Pearson’s ancestor, Susan Merritt, gets to meet
General Brock and, as the legend goes, buckles on his sword for luck
just before the Battle of Queenston Heights. Although her diary ends
soon after the death of Brock, the epilogue tells us what happened to
Susanna and her family during the remaining years of the war.

Historical notes and a section containing paintings, early photographs,
maps, sketches, and even recipes provide background information and a
wealth of additional details. Students will find Whispers of War an
excellent resource for information about pioneer life and the War of
1812. Highly recommended.