Beyond The Bright Sea

 Bibliography: Wolk, Lauren. 2017. BEYOND THE BRIGHT SEA. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books. ISBN 9781101994856

Plot Summary: Crow is a young girl who lives on an island in Massachusetts. She is being raised by an old guy named, Osh and his neighbor, Miss Maggie.  Crow is a nature girl: she swims in the ocean, knows how to steer a boat and enjoys being outside.  Crow genuinely enjoys her life but she does wonder where did come from and what is her “real” name. Osh is content with he life he has created for himself and Crow and so he doesn’t pay much attention to Crow’s questions about where did come from and what became of her parents until a fire is spotted on a neighboring island.  Crow wants to know what is happening over on the Penikese Island and if possibly that is where she was born. Crow sets out find out about the inhabitants of the island and if she has roots there.  Osh doesn’t understand why Crow wants to know where she came from; nor does he stop her from finding out the truth. Miss Maggie listens to Crow and her musings about finding out who she is. Miss Maggie is understanding to Crow’s plight and mainly listens, offering encouraging words that will keep Crow in good spirits. Crow goes to Penikese and finds a man that has been held captive there for some years.  With help from Osh and Miss Maggie, they bring Mr. Sloane back to the other side of the bay and learn what had transpired on the island. The state had closed the hospital years ago because most of the people had died and the few lepers left were sent to a facility in Louisiana. A gentleman had learned that a treasure was buried on the island and so he came to find it and take it back with him. Osh and Miss Maggie were familiar with the tales that had been told but they weren’t concerned with finding any treasure.  For Crow, she was wanting to know where she came from and if she had family.

Critical Analysis: Mrs. Wolk writes a rich story about family, belonging, and the need to know one’s identity. I had to go and look for information about this part of the Northeastern United States and Massachusetts to understand what and where Penikese Island is.  Being a native of Massachusetts, Mrs. Wolk writes a story that is purely fictional and offers a small piece of history by way of the Penikese Island and what it was used for.  She does an excellent job capturing the beauty of  an area known as the Elizabeth Islands in writing about Crow’s movements around Cuttyhunk.  The sad history of Penikese Island and how it was used to house lepers is an unfortunate story.  The story of the treasure is also something that has been passed along for generations along the cape. I would recommend this book to readers who are familiar with the Elizabeth Islands and/or if they are planning a trip to Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Review Excerpt(s):

Kirkus Reviews (starred): “There are a few lulls, which the author tries to fill with heavy foreshadowing. But the mysteries—and the words that describe them—are compelling enough to send readers to the islands for years to come.”

Connections:

Teachers can read this book in a unit that talks about the islands of Massachusetts. A good read-aloud for learning about the history of Massachusetts and its natural environment.

This review are my own words and are part of a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.