Just finished The Wanderer today. I didn't think I would like it much because it has that girl-against-the-elements kind of feel. I'
m not big on the elements in literature, even if they are metaphorical. Also, I was scarred (water-logged?) for life by watching Jaws at too young an age. Dagnabbed shark.
I like Sophie, though, and her funky memory. She's on this big sailing trip with her uncles and cousins (all male), and she's trying to work out her personal history. The Wanderer is a combination of her and her cousin Cody's jounals. At first I was very dubious about the likelihood of a young girl ending up with an all-male crew, but then I remembered that when she was nine, Sweet Potato went on a camping trip to Mexico with her dad, his uncle Peter, and some cousins (all male). Here's the story she told me when she got back:
Uncle Peter locked dad's keys in the truck, but the little triangle window in the back was open, so we all took turns trying to get our hands in there to get the keys out. I had the best chance because I have the smallest hands, but I also had the shortest arms. Then Uncle Peter stuck his hand in there to give it a try, and he reached and reached and reached, and he was so close, and then the window broke.
And that's how I learned the F-word.
Sophie doesn't mention if she learns any new swear words on her trip, but she does learn a few things. I learned a few things, too. Mostly that I have a very feeble grasp of geography. If it were up to my brain, England and Ireland would be on one continent, Scotland above Ireland, and Wales would be where Ireland is. That's how I always picture it in my head no matter how many times I see it otherwise on a map, which makes me think I just need to go there and see it in real life, and then I'll get it.
m not big on the elements in literature, even if they are metaphorical. Also, I was scarred (water-logged?) for life by watching Jaws at too young an age. Dagnabbed shark. I like Sophie, though, and her funky memory. She's on this big sailing trip with her uncles and cousins (all male), and she's trying to work out her personal history. The Wanderer is a combination of her and her cousin Cody's jounals. At first I was very dubious about the likelihood of a young girl ending up with an all-male crew, but then I remembered that when she was nine, Sweet Potato went on a camping trip to Mexico with her dad, his uncle Peter, and some cousins (all male). Here's the story she told me when she got back:
Uncle Peter locked dad's keys in the truck, but the little triangle window in the back was open, so we all took turns trying to get our hands in there to get the keys out. I had the best chance because I have the smallest hands, but I also had the shortest arms. Then Uncle Peter stuck his hand in there to give it a try, and he reached and reached and reached, and he was so close, and then the window broke.
And that's how I learned the F-word.
Sophie doesn't mention if she learns any new swear words on her trip, but she does learn a few things. I learned a few things, too. Mostly that I have a very feeble grasp of geography. If it were up to my brain, England and Ireland would be on one continent, Scotland above Ireland, and Wales would be where Ireland is. That's how I always picture it in my head no matter how many times I see it otherwise on a map, which makes me think I just need to go there and see it in real life, and then I'll get it.
Comments