I Loved Charlotte's Confessions

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Dear Saralinda*:

I picked up The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle with more than a little hesitation. I had borrowed another Avi book, Bright Shadow, from our library and been very disappointed with it. So I was reluctant to try another of his books, especially since to send it to you I would have to purchase it.

However, I'd been told that The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was by far his best book and that it was truly worthy of the Newbery Honor it had achieved. So I decided to take the chance and am thankful that I did. In fact, I enjoyed this book so much, that I convinced your Uncle Richard to read it as well and he found it equally enjoyable.

We must go back in time to meet Miss Doyle, a proper young gentle lady who has been trained in the finer arts of high society behavior. We go back in time to 1832 (pre-Civil War in America) and to the docks where several ships are moored. The book starts out by giving away an important plot element. You learn immediately that 13-year-old Charlotte Doyle will be tried and convicted for murder while on a ship voyage from London to Providence, New York.

The book is written in first-person-from Charlotte's point of view. She tells us early on that she kept a journal during the voyage and that she used it to help put together her story into the tale that you read. The author, Avi, originally intended this book to be primarily a mystery story. He then found himself drawn to Charlotte and the story metamorphosed into her story.

Avi tried to describe his writing style by saying; "I try to write about complex issues-young people in an adult world.in a narrative style that relies heavily on suspense with a texture rich in emotion and imagery."

In many ways, revealing at once that Charlotte will be convicted of murder adds to the suspense of the novel. While one would think that such a plot spoiler would detract, I found myself guessing throughout the book who the murder victim would be and how it would come about. Despite my constantly looking for the answer, Avi was still able to surprise me with how it was arranged.

I'm especially optimistic you will like this book because you enjoyed Catherine Called Birdy. While the writing styles do differ, they have many things in common. Both are books about independent young women put into challenging situations during a time period where women and girls were given relatively few choices. Both Charlotte and Catherine are plucky girls with interesting personalities. They both learn how to relate and cope with overpowering men who make their existence very difficult.

In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, the overpowering man is Captain Jaggery, a cruel captain who manages to charm Charlotte before she is able to learn his true nature.

There are some fascinating characters in this novel. After Charlotte, my favorite character is easily the ship's African cook, Zachariah. He immediately tries to befriend Charlotte and persists even after she snubs him as a person of lower class and worth. Zachariah is also an interesting character because he manages to respond to cruelty in a powerful fashion without becoming bitter.

One of the things that impressed me about this novel was that Avi manages to avoid any obscene language or behavior on the part of the ship's occupants. Many people would argue that to eliminate any strong language from a book that deals with sailors in the 19th century on board detracts from the book's realism. Avi handles the matter rather expertly. He refers to the strong language used by the crew-and later by Charlotte-without giving us the details of exactly what the strong language is. He leaves it to our imagination and I for one am content with that.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a fast-paced book. I found myself unable to put it down and read it through in less than a day. However, the story itself stayed with me for much longer. I found myself discussing the surprises with your Uncle Richard, pondering the incredible character development, and admiring how very well Avi managed to avoid stereotypes and write a truly interesting and original tale.

About The Author

Avi has written 30 books that include mysteries, fantasies, histories, adventures, and comedies. He was born in 1937 in New York and was the child of activist parents who fought against racism and for women's rights. He struggled throughout school and was told he would never make a good student or writer. Later in life, he learned that he had dyslexia. Despite being told he couldn't succeed, he decided he would be a writer. His family encouraged him and got him a tutor. He began writing children's stories after his own children were born in the 70s.

He's quoted as saying:

I want my readers to feel, to think, sometimes to laugh. But most of all I want them to enjoy a good read.

He succeeds in all of these things in The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and I can unstintingly recommend this book. Indeed, it is one of the better reads I've had this month (it would rank even higher if I hadn't just finished reading Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but that's a tough book to beat out. It's probably one of the better books of all time).

So, enjoy! I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

Love,
Aunt Bridgette

I'm currently reading a stack of juvenile fiction in search of books that my 13-year-old niece would enjoy. Since I don't want to just dump the books on her, I've decided to write letters to go with each one. (Although, my husband has said at least half of the 56 have to go to her at Thanksgiving, so I'll be a bit behind on my letter writing.) After I strip out the strictly personal information, I'll post them here as reviews. After all, my goal in the letter is to get her to read the book, perhaps I can do the same for you.

* I've changed my niece's name to protect her identity. The name I borrowed from another beloved children's book. She's the princess in James Thurber's The 13 Clocks