The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Aviby Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger 07 May 2007 08:13 AM If you have even a speck of adventure in your soul, you will enjoy "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" by master storyteller Avi. Charlotte Doyle was raised to be a proper lady. At the age of thirteen, she knows how to dress, act, and behave in a genteel fashion, just as her parents have always hoped. But when she is thrown, unprepared, into treacherous situations, she has to decide for herself how to get out of them. Charlotte was scheduled to sail aboard the Seahawk, a ship belonging to her father's firm, which would take her from her home in England to her new home in Massachusetts. Her family was there waiting for her, but she had remained behind to finish the school year. Now with a new life ahead of her, she is eager for the voyage, knowing no harm can come to her on one of her father's ships. However, the family which is to accompany her on the voyage doesn't come, so she is the only passenger. Against her better judgement and against a warning she receives, she sails anyway, anxious to obey her father, and to rejoin her family. What she does not know is that the crew has planned a mutiny against the evil Captain Jaggery. Placed in a horrible position, she does what she knows she must - she joins the men and soon finds herself an indispensible part of the crew, climbing the ropes and hoisting the sails with the best of them. Her role turns into one of leadership as the situation on board gets worse, and she's even accused of murder. Her mother would faint if she knew. The writing in this story is so good, it makes you feel as though you're there, on the ocean, with Charlotte. And at the end, when her family doesn't believe her and she runs away from home to rejoin her crew, you can understand why she made that decision and applaud her for it. I read this book as an adult and wish I'd found it years earlier, as a teenager. Charlotte found her inner strength and relied on it, even when society was trying to tell her how weak she was. She proved them wrong time and time again. The story is a bit intense, but it made for all the better of a read, showing us why it's a Newbury Honor Book. (This book was published in 1990 by Orchard Books.) Related blogs: Learn more about Tristi Pinkston  I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006. Relevantmedia tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags adventure, pirates, young adult Discuss this article
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