The Wanderer by Sharon Creech is a book keeping you on the edge of your seat. Sophie, the main character, and part of her family travel across the Atlantic to reach England, where Bompie, her grandfather, is. They are faced with dangerous trials each day as they face every danger the sea brings to upon them.
Sophie is a teenager who starts the novel by confessing her love of the sea, but a nightmare about an overpowering wave has changed her. This conflict is the fundamental part of the story that drives the plot forward. Her two cousins, Cody and Brian, and her 3 uncles, accompany her on this trip to visit Bompie. But this crew is not her actual family, but rather her adopted family. Sophie wants to unveil the hidden past about her life and family. As the only girl, Sophie learns how to work with males and use her skills to everyone's advantage. During their journey, a powerful white wave crashes down on the boat, forcing Sophie to fear her nightmare again of a black wave. When they finally arrive safely with Bompie, Sophie tells her adopted family stories which they believe are false, but Bompie confirms that they are all true except for one. Sophie tells this story again, where they realize that this is Sophie's story, where she uncovers her past.
The Wanderer, published in 2000, won the Parents' Choice Award, was in the top 8 books for the Carnegie Medal Shortlist, and was the runner-up for the Newberry Medal.
