The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Apr.21, 2013, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2013-2014, Historical Fiction, Newbery, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Fans, ages 9 and up, of seafaring adventures and plucky female characters would love this book!
The goods on this book: The year is 1832, and Charlotte Doyle is a prim, proper young lady who has been educated at a private school in London. She must return to her upper-class family in Rhode Island and, despite warnings, boards the Seahawk for the passage across the Atlantic. Charlotte overcomes her shock at her cramped quarters and terrible seasickness, only to discover that she is the only passenger and the only female on a ship seething with bad omens. The cook, Zachariah, tries to befriend her and warns her about the brutality of Captain Jaggery. Charlotte tells her own story as she discovers who she can trust and what her true qualities are in the midst of wild adventure on the high seas. Avi’s descriptions through the eyes of Charlotte made me feel as if I were on the ship. The plot turns kept me in suspense right up to the final page. A Newbery Honor Book when it was published in 1990, this book holds up well and is a totally satisfying read for lovers of adventure, historical fiction, and 1st person narratives. I hear that a movie is due out in 2014.
The details: 229 pp. 1990 Review by Samrarian
