A Sea So Far

By Jean Thesman

Book Overview

April 18, 1906. San Francisco is shaken and shattered by a nightmare earthquake. Among the many victims are two teenage girls: orphaned Kate Keely, who has to quit high school to go to work, and Jolie Logan, still recovering from an almost fatal case of scarlet fever and the death of her beautiful mother. Their lives collide a year later, when Kate is hired as Jolie's "personal companion"-an odd combination of maid, nurse, and, perhaps, friend. They are still getting used to each other when Jolie's father suddenly decides to send them to Ireland. Kate is ecstatic, until he entrusts her with the Logan family secret, one she must keep from Jolie no matter what. The two make the exhausting journey by train and boat, where they stay with Jolie's aunt, and thrive-in ways Dr. Logan would never have expected. A Sea So Far is Jean Thesman's first historical novel since The Tree of Bells. Its sweeping narrative-and its intimate look at the lives of two girls at the beginning of the twentieth century-is unforgettable.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670892785
• ISBN13: 9780670892785
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Viking Children's Books
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.7" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Engaging story

On the night of the infamous San Francisco earthquake two teenage girls find themselves in far different circumstances. Feisty Kate Keely, the orphaned daughter of Irish immigrants, finds herself living in reduced circumstances with an aunt after the untimely death of her father. On the other side of town, Jolie Logan, the daughter of an Irish mother and wealthy doctor, is recovering from scarlet fever, which has left her heart damaged. The book is told in alternate chapters from Kate's and Jolie's points of view. Kate is the far more likeable character, with her spirit and determination to succeed despite her reduced circumstances. She doesn't waste a lot of time with lamenting her circumstances and shows spirit, humor, and strength of character. Jolie, who has lived in luxury and been spoiiled by doting parents, grows much more in the course of the novel, under Kate's careful hands. A Sea so Far serves very well as a historical novel explaining the rapid changes in the early twentieth century when women were finally able to have some rights and show their initiative. Though the two friends oft times don't agree, both blossom from the opportunity to be friends and companions and learn lessons about what is important in life. A good young adult novel that adults might enjoy as well.

A changing, absorbing plot

Jean Thesman's A Sea So Far is set in 1906 and tells of a an Francisco shaken by earthquake. Two teen girls - one poor, one wealthy, face many changes as a result - and encounter one another in a new working relationship which challenges their values. A changing, absorbing plot.