Realistic Fiction

The Wanderer

By: Sharon Creech

Realistic Fiction/ Newberry Award 2001

Everyone has a history and ironically history makes us who we are. Society, culture, and life experiences all play a part in the history of a person's life. The wanderer takes you across the Atlantic from Connecticut to Ireland through the eyes of a young girl named Sophie and through the voice of the sea.

Sophie has suffered much loss and change in her life and is wandering through life when she begins her journey. The author writes of howling wind that literally knocks you off your feet. The words describe the sea, but they also describe the effects of the hardships in Sophie's life. Sophie is joined in her journey by uncles and cousins. Through out the journey, the crew decides everyone must teach the others something special that they can do. Her cousin decided to teach juggling although some though it a stupid thing to teach. Her cousin Brian taught "points of sail" and other sailing logo. Boooorrrriiiiinnnngggg! Sophie decided to teach amazing stories that she remembered hearing her Bompie (their father/grandfather) tell. The uncles and cousins could not understand why they could not remember the amazing stories that were also their history.

Sophie tells her stories and her uncles and cousins begin to feel like wanderers as they search their memories to recall the events of Sophie's wonderful stories. The story revolves around these exciting stories and it is rather interesting because....well, you see, Sophie has never met Bompie because Sophie was adopted into this wonderful family only three years ago and has never been to Ireland, where Bompie lives. Want to know more about Sophie's stories? You'll have to read the book yourself for that information. (review by Della McGinley)

Creech, Sharon, The Wanderer, New York NY, Harper Collins, 2002

ISBN: 0-06-441032-3

http://www.sharoncreech.com/