BOOKS
When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea
Sally O’Malley is an orphan working at a mineral spring hotel in the woods of central Oregon–that is, until she’s chucked out like chewed-on chicken bones, due entirely to an unfortunate incident with a pig and some church ladies.
And so Sally decides to head west to the sea. Glorious, she’s heard. Fierce, she’s heard. Why not see for herself? Before long Sally encounters a dangerous bobcat–and that’s just the first day! Safe in the knowledge that she’s fearless, she continues on her journey with no place to belong and no one to depend on. And that’s just fine with her.
Then a lady called Major, an old donkey, a loyal dog, and an abominable brat show Sally that she’s not quite as brave as she thinks.
It turns out that counting on someone else is the scariest thing of all.
Resources
Learn more about the story behind this book in this interview: “Karen Cushman Talks with Roger,” Roger Sutton, The Horn Book, 21 February 2025
Reviews
“Sally is an outcast, first from an orphanage and now from her job at Miz Broome’s hotel. Striking out on her own sounds good to this independent 13-year-old. Poor and hungry, she’s suspicious when an old lady called Major offers her a free ride in her wagon, pulled by a mule. The other travel companions include Major’s trusty dog, Sarge, and a spoiled brat of a little boy named Lafayette. Major has been hired to deliver the child to his new home with a distant cousin he has never met. The journey takes place in Oregon during the summer of 1894. Sally and her fellow travelers share food, opinions, and challenges along the way, gradually earning each other’s trust. Cushman, author of Catherine, Called Birdy (1994) — a Newbery Honor book — and The Midwife’s Apprentice (1995) — a Newbery Medal winner — now offers a middle-grade page turner that will work equally well for reading aloud or reading alone. As the story’s narrator, Sally is straightforward, plain-spoken, and tough, but also quick witted and easily touched by kindness, having experienced it so seldom. Serious issues arise during the journey, but humor is woven into the story as well. This lively adventure tale is a page-turner for historical fiction fans. (Carolyn Phelan, Booklist, starred review)
“Orphan Sally O’Malley exudes gumption as she makes her way across 1894 Oregon in the company of a spoiled kid, a plucky donkey, and a wise woman.
“Sally doesn’t mince words, not even when she’s talking to herself. “Nobody was wanting me. Never had,” she reminds herself as she runs away from the mineral spring hotel where she’s worked since the orphanage sent her there at age 10. Following the suggestion of a store clerk, 13-year-old Sally, eyeing a brighter future, heads westward. All manner of obstacles hinder her path, but the offer of a ride with an older woman on her wagon, pulled by Mabel the donkey, leads to relationships that soften Sally’s mistrustful heart. She and the woman, who goes by Major, take on a sniveling 7-year-old boy named Lafayette and make their way toward the coast over land and by riverboat. Sally’s colorful vocabulary evokes the time period, and her irascible first-person narration, coupled with Major’s sensible good nature and brook-no-nonsense attitude, are an appealing combination. The well-developed secondary characters and adventure-filled plot provide opportunities for highlighting gender restrictions of the time and accentuating Sally’s growth. The short chapters are laced with historical tidbits, from saloons and dime novels to dungarees. The central characters present white; during her journey, Sally encounters people of other races for the first time in her life.
“An engrossing historical journey, filled with shenanigans that support trust and growth.” (Kirkus Reviews)
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 25 March 2025