The Innocents
Evered, a 12-year-old boy, and his younger sister, Ada, are left without parents after both die within a short time of each other. During the early 19th century, the children continue the family business, supplying fish to ships sailing near Labrador. The ships arrive each year for the fish while the children are given supplies that should last them until the next visit. One day a ship arrives offshore, and they are visited by a man who teaches Evered how to hunt and trap animals for food and for their pelts. Most of the time, though, the children must learn to survive on their own, while experiencing the life that young boys and girls go through as they enter their teenage years.
I found this novel totally believable. Evered and Ava, as developed by the author, are sympathetic, creditable, and realistic, and the novel is difficult to put down. The children find themselves in difficult situations and then have to work towards getting themselves out of trouble, and I kept feeling as if the children would face problems that they were unable to solve. There are surprises along the way as the youngsters develop sexually, and the novel shows how they deal with being in close proximity to each other while still living together as brother and sister. The novel is rich in period detail and has perfect pacing throughout.
