True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

This historical fiction novel set in 1832 is a murder mystery that is a master epic for teaching examples of complex yet exciting plot development and intriguing characterization. Charlotte, a dainty young lady from an upstanding and distinguished family changes into a sly and daring, bold sailor who can wield her way around a boat and cavort easily among her shipmates. And to top all this she is charged with murder! The story twists and turns and rocks on the waves across the Atlantic Ocean as Charlotte travels from England where she has been going to school to Rhode Island with the rough and crass crew of the Seahawk. Captain Jaggery is implicated as having quite a questionable reputation from the start when even a porter would not approach the ship with Charlotte's luggage. Although Captain Jaggery is a gentleman and a kind friend to Charlotte at the beginning of the journey he becomes the mighty antagonist as the story progresses. Zachariah, an old mate Charlotte met in the cargo hold was among the roughest of the crew. He gave Charlotte a dirk (knife) soon after meeting her, and as the reader wonders what she would ever do with it the story finds its use several times at the end of the story. The plot reaches climax when Charlotte tries to get into the captain's quarters to get a key only to be found by the captain. There is almost a mutiny on board as crew members work together to try to release Charlotte from the brig. When Charlotte finally reaches Rhode Island, her destination and her home she is punished for the contents of the journal she had kept and for the things about which she wrote concerning her adventures on the ship. Her father burned the journal. As the novel ended Charlotte left her home and ran away back to the ship to join the crew once again. A sailor is a sailor forever onward. Avi ends the chapters with words of suspense and intrigue that make this book difficult to put down after starting it.