When Sally OMalley Discovered the Se..., Karen Cushman
When Sally OMalley Discovered the Se..., Karen Cushman
List: $18.00 | Sale: $12.24
Club: $9.00

When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea

Author: Karen Cushman

Narrator: Cassandra Morris

Unabridged: 6 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/25/2025


Synopsis

From the Newbery-Award winning author of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice comes the story of an orphan who decides to go west--with nothing but gumption as her guide.

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.

About The Author

Karen Cushman is the Newbery Award-winning author of The Midwife's Apprentice, Catherine, Called Birdy, and War and Millie McGonigle, among many other popular novels for young readers.  She was inspired to write about a girl making her way west after many years of visiting Cannon Beach, a small town on the Oregon coast with a long history, with her family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Amy on March 28, 2025

have always enjoyed Karen Cushmam's books. She is just so skilled at capturing the sights, dialects, historical details and social mores of an historical era, while also infusing humor and heart into the narrative. When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea is a book that features all these elements.Thi......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on March 16, 2025

Karen Cushman treats us to another historical novel with a spunky girl protagonist. This one takes place in Oregon in 1894. Thirteen year old Sally is an orphan on the run after various unsuccessful stays in unfriendly homes and is not too keen on people in general. She gets it in her head to see th......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on May 05, 2025

Anyone who's read one of this author's previous books will know that she is particularly skilled at immersing readers in her setting through vivid description and the use of vocabulary that fits the time period. In this case, it's the summer of 1894 in the Northwest. Having lost her job at a mineral......more

Goodreads review by Virginia McGee on March 30, 2025

When Net Galley offers a book by Karen Cushman, I know I need to make a request. Known best for her Newbery Award winners, Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife’s Apprentice, she is in her element when she sets her books in her home state of Oregon. In Karen’s newest release on March 25, When Sall......more

Goodreads review by Libby on March 29, 2025

Cushman is a good writer, and this title reinforces my opinion on this. So often I feel like historical books for kids slip into anachronisms and characters expressing themselves with modern sensibilities. Cushman avoids that; Sally is a strong young woman to join her other creations like Birdy, whi......more


Quotes

★ "[A] middle-grade page turner that will work equally well for reading aloud or reading alone....This lively adventure tale is a page-turner for historical fiction fans." —Booklist, starred review

★ "[T]his evocative historical novel....will have readers clambering to hitch a ride on this entertaining and gratifying adventure." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"An engrossing historical journey, filled with shenanigans that support trust and growth." —Kirkus Reviews

"Sally O’Malley’s adventure will grip and charm even the most reluctant of readers." —School Library Journal

"The choreography of peril and refuge is well managed as readers find themselves cheering Sally on to her happy ending." —The Horn Book