Girl Accused of Murder on the High Seas |
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| Published in: | 1990 |
| Length: | 232 pages |
| Ranking (1-10): |
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| Genre: | Historical Fiction |
| Age: | Young Adult |
Can you imagine being on a boat all alone, being a girl in a sexist world, being accused of murder and found guilty? Well this all happens to thirteen year old Charlotte Doyle in the summer of 1832. Her family left England before her to sail to America. As they left her father said to keep a journal on her voyage. So here it is, the full account of her horrifying trip across the Atlantic Ocean. From the beginning when a ships cook hands her a knife and tells her she might be needing it. When she finds out of the ships frightening past. The captain of the boat turns out horrid man, and even though their is always sweet Zachariah to protect her from the captain's wrath she still shudders in her sleep. As Charlotte records in her diary, "I returned the knife- still wrapped in my handkerchief- to it's hiding place under my mattress. As far as I was concerned it would stay there and be forgotten. Alas such would not be the case." With all of the characters and with all of the obstacles will Charlotte survive this trip? If she does how will she ever explain this to her father and face her family?
This book is absolutely fabulous! I loved the way it was written. I liked the way this book is about a female who over comes the ideas that come with the female image at the time. This story is full of emotions and anger. The characters in the book all have a definite personality. To fully enjoy this book you have to hang with it for the first two chapters which are kind of slow but after that I can assure you will be very glad you kept on going. In some parts of the story I could feel the movements of the sea. Other times I could feel the crack of the captains whip on my back. This story is about murder, family and how a young girl in the midst of growing up and out who she is, can over come the odds or the death penalty. The ending is absolutely exquisite and it shows courage and bravery. I learned to love