For children navigating big changes or searching for where they truly belong, follow Sophia, a spirited survivor, on her extraordinary journey to find family and a place to call home.
Parents might reach for this book when their child is grappling with a sense of displacement or searching for their place in the world after major changes. This classic historical adventure follows Sophia, the young orphaned daughter of an African chieftain, on an epic journey. From slavery in America to life with pirates and fame in London, she never stops searching for a family. The story tackles themes of resilience, identity, and belonging with a directness that may feel dated but is ultimately empowering. It’s an ideal choice for a mature older elementary reader ready for a complex story of survival and the creation of a chosen family.
Deals with themes of being orphaned, profound loneliness, and the loss of one's entire culture.
Scary ScenesMild
Includes capture, life with pirates, and a strange situation with a taxidermist.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with the death of the protagonist's entire community, slavery, and racism. Written in 1968, its approach is a product of its time: direct and matter-of-fact rather than deeply psychological or graphic. The resolution is entirely hopeful, as Sophia finds a loving family and a place of belonging, resolving the trauma of her past through the stability of her future.
Ideal Reader
A mature 10 to 12-year-old who loves epic historical fiction and adventure stories with resilient protagonists. This child can handle complex and dated discussions of loss and slavery and is grappling with feelings of being an outsider or figuring out their own unique identity.
Parent Prep
This book needs context. Parents should preview the opening chapters detailing the loss of Sophia's village and her enslavement. It is crucial to discuss the historical context of slavery and colonialism, and how portrayals from the 1960s/70s differ from today's literature. The central, strange plot point involving the taxidermist will also likely require discussion. A parent hears their child say, "I feel like I don't belong anywhere," or asks, "What if I was all alone in the world?" This is also a book for parents looking to introduce historical topics like slavery in a classic narrative context, distinct from modern approaches.
Age Experience
A younger reader (8-9) will likely focus on the adventure plot: the pirates, the strange settings, and Sophia’s clever survival. An older reader (10-12) will be better equipped to understand the deeper themes of cultural loss, racism, identity, and the psychological weight of Sophia's journey. They will also be more likely to appreciate the story's unusual, almost allegorical, tone.
What Makes It Special
Its unique, almost fantastical picaresque structure sets it apart. Unlike modern historical fiction that often focuses on a single, realistic period, this book is a sweeping, continent-hopping odyssey. The central metaphor of Sophia being 'preserved' by a taxidermist is a bizarre and unforgettable literary device that symbolizes her suspended state between her lost past and her unfound future.
Read plot summary
Six-year-old Sophia, daughter of an African chieftain, is the sole survivor after her tribe is destroyed. Her incredible journey takes her from being sold into slavery in the American South, to being captured by pirates in New Orleans, to being bizarrely 'preserved' by a London taxidermist and becoming a society curiosity, and finally to finding a true, chosen family in Canada. It is a sprawling, picaresque adventure about a girl's search for home.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Sophia is 'preserved' by the taxidermist, Mr. Ffennel. What do you think this word means in the story? In what ways was Sophia's life put on hold, and how did she finally start living again?
2
Throughout her journey, many people try to define Sophia: as a slave, a pirate's girl, a London curiosity. How does Sophia hold on to her own identity and her memory of her family?
3
Sophia finds a home with the Nortons in Canada. What makes them a real family for her, even though they aren't related by blood? What does the book seem to say about what truly makes a family?
4
This story was written over 50 years ago and is set even longer ago. What parts of Sophia's journey and feelings still seem to apply to kids' lives today?
