the true confessions of charlotte doyle book cover

It had plenty of suspense, adventure, and yes, unfortunately, blood to keep them extremely interested. I don't think my boys would have ever decided to read this book on their own, but it worked perfectly as a readaloud. Captain Jaggery reveals his true (ugly) colors, and Charlotte instantly switches loyalty, casts away her restricting dresses, and joins the crew. Things come to a head when Charlotte accidentally finds a round robin in the crew's quarters-a type of symbol that signifies unity before a mutiny. But Charlotte thinks the captain is the only civilized human on board (besides herself, of course), and she is determined to stay close to him in spite of the warnings from the rest of the crew. It is also obvious from the very beginning that there is quite a bit of dissatisfaction and unrest among the crew, and it seems to be directed toward the captain, Andrew Jaggery. You'd be better off far from the Seahawk.' In addition to that, the ship's cook, an old black sailor by the name of Zachariah, offers her a dirk, and you know things can't be good if someone think you may need a knife to protect yourself. One sailor, Barlow, warns her: 'You're being here will lead to no good, miss. Her fears are not allayed: Her cabin is small and cramped, the sailors are coarse and frightening, and she doesn't know how she'll ever maintain proper decorum through such a long journey. With a deep sense of foreboding, but no other alternative, Charlotte boards the ship. Not only that, but Charlotte can't even find a porter who is willing to take her trunk to the ship because the name Seahawk has an instant negative effect on everyone who hears it. The circumstances are not ideal for a refined young woman, but two other families will also be sailing on the ship, so Charlotte will not be alone.īut when she arrives at the dock in Liverpool, she finds out that neither family will be able to make the voyage after all. As such, her father booked her passage on a merchant ship, the Seahawk.

How about mutiny, murder, and hurricanes on the high seas instead?Ĭharlotte Doyle has lived most of her life at Barrington School in England, but the time has come for her to return home to Providence, Rhode Island. Nothing could be further from the reality of this book. I assumed her 'true confessions' were about a secret love interest or some other silly nonsense. Look at her serene expression, her hair blowing gently in the breeze, her crisp and frilly outfit. I guessed it was about a girl traveling across the ocean. I passed over it many times as a kid at the library because it looked rather dull. If an award was given for 'worst cover ever,' this book would probably be a top contender.

The true confessions of charlotte doyle book cover