A Sea So Far [Hardcover]

Jean Thesman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

April 18, 1906. San Francisco is shaken and shattered by a nightmare earthquake. Among the many victims are two teenage girls: orphaned Kate Keely, who has to quit high school to go to work, and Jolie Logan, still recovering from an almost fatal case of scarlet fever and the death of her beautiful mother.

Their lives collide a year later, when Kate is hired as Jolie's "personal companion"-an odd combination of maid, nurse, and, perhaps, friend. They are still getting used to each other when Jolie's father suddenly decides to send them to Ireland. Kate is ecstatic, until he entrusts her with the Logan family secret, one she must keep from Jolie no matter what. The two make the exhausting journey by train and boat, where they stay with Jolie's aunt, and thrive-in ways Dr. Logan would never have expected.

A Sea So Far is Jean Thesman's first historical novel since The Tree of Bells. Its sweeping narrative-and its intimate look at the lives of two girls at the beginning of the twentieth century-is unforgettable.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Thesman (Tree of Bells) starts out strong but later falters in her tale of two teenage girls, opposite in personalities and backgrounds, brought together after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. At first the narrative alternates focus among three characters: 15-year-old Kate, the orphaned daughter of Irish immigrants, who must leave high school to support herself, her aunt and 16-year-old Jolie, a coddled invalid whose mother dies in the quake. The opening quickly sets up the contrast between the girls' two worlds, with the errant poor dragging their sparse belongings while the Russian Hill wealthy seem to be holding an outdoor tea party, comfortably ensconced in their furniture as they watch the rest of the city burn. Thesman effectively weaves together these separate strands, even arranging a chance sighting before the girls meet. Kate, ever practical and lured by the promise of a journey to Ireland, takes a job as Jolie's companion, even though she finds Jolie "the most spoiled, rude, insufferable snob she had ever met." The girls do develop a friendship, but as the novel progresses, the relationship seems a bit melodramatic and does not demonstrate the intimacy that the narrative claims. Unfortunately, in the end, both the plotting and character development come to seem implausible. Ages 10-14.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-It is 1906, and most of San Francisco lies in ruins. Mobs of people, some piteously injured, others dragging a variety of belongings, roam the streets in an effort to avoid a horrendous fire, reunite with loved ones, and put their lives back together. Told through the alternating viewpoints of two strong-willed, but otherwise rather different teens, this story will be appealing to those who like plucky heroines in period pieces. Well-read Kate, an orphan, hopes to graduate from high school and somehow see her mother's native Ireland. Jolie, suffering severe heart problems from a bout of scarlet fever, is the daughter of a prominent and wealthy doctor who loses her mother in the quake. Dr. Logan, in denial about the seriousness of his daughter's condition, promises Kate a large financial incentive to accompany the girl to Ireland to visit an estate to which Jolie's aunt has made her heir. Kate agrees, planning to desert her companion once she is safely with her aunt. However, as Kate becomes more aware of Ireland's problems and Jolie's decline, she finds herself indecisive. Although Thesman flirts with didacticism in her discussion of the harmful effects of women's corsets and clothing styles, in other period details she is perfectly fluent. With vivid settings and well-developed characters, the story conveys the importance of educated women helping their less fortunate "sisters" escape the burdens of society's conventions through economic innovation. This is an enjoyable read with a poignant ending.

Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 195 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670892785
• ISBN-13: 978-0670892785
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,919,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A changing, absorbing plot, December 16, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sea So Far (Hardcover)

Jean Thesman's A Sea So Far is set in 1906 and tells of a an Francisco shaken by earthquake. Two teen girls - one poor, one wealthy, face many changes as a result - and encounter one another in a new working relationship which challenges their values. A changing, absorbing plot.

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed., July 10, 2006

By 

MAB (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sea So Far (Hardcover)

"A Sea So Far" had been on my "to read" list for many years, and once I got a hold of it, I was eager to read it. I thought I'd be reading more about the earthquake, but that was only the main event for the first few chapters. Thereafter, it was all about two young girls traveling to Ireland. I felt like I had been misled. I suppose for what the story was about, it was decent. I "sorta" recommend.

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging story, January 2, 2003

By 

Marsha E. Lytle (Olathe, KS United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sea So Far (Hardcover)

On the night of the infamous San Francisco earthquake two teenage girls find themselves in far different circumstances. Feisty Kate Keely, the orphaned daughter of Irish immigrants, finds herself living in reduced circumstances with an aunt after the untimely death of her father. On the other side of town, Jolie Logan, the daughter of an Irish mother and wealthy doctor, is recovering from scarlet fever, which has left her heart damaged.
The book is told in alternate chapters from Kate's and Jolie's points of view. Kate is the far more likeable character, with her spirit and determination to succeed despite her reduced circumstances. She doesn't waste a lot of time with lamenting her circumstances and shows spirit, humor, and strength of character. Jolie, who has lived in luxury and been spoiiled by doting parents, grows much more in the course of the novel, under Kate's careful hands. A Sea so Far serves very well as a historical novel explaining the rapid changes in the early twentieth century when women were finally able to have some rights and show their initiative. Though the two friends oft times don't agree, both blossom from the opportunity to be friends and companions and learn lessons about what is important in life. A good young adult novel that adults might enjoy as well.