The Wanderer (Creech novel)


The Wanderer is a children's novel by Sharon Creech, published in 2000. It was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and named a Newbery Honor book.

Plot overview

Sophie, a 13-year-old girl with two non-biological parents, is the only girl amongst a crew of her three uncles and her two cousins on the way to visit her grandpa, Bompie, who lives in England. The story is told from her point-of-view and also from Cody's. Through the journey, Sophie learns to accept who she is and gets to know a lot about her relatives, which creates bonds among them all, especially Cody and Uncle Dock. She discovers how her parents died, and also comes to understand that she is allowed to express her feelings and allow her sad memories to go. Sophie realizes that this voyage has helped her find the truth about her parents, her history, and the privilege to go out on the sea.