by Scott O’Dell
First published 1968
Sixteen-year-old Nathan sails from Nantucket to a remote California bay with his two older brothers. But in these mysterious waters, one brother dies under strange circumstances, and the other descends into a disturbing obsession. Now Nathan must navigate the treacherous currents of grief, guilt, and his own sanity to uncover the truth. A haunting tale of family, loss, and the ghosts that linger on the open sea.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, 19th-century, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: family-drama, grief, mystery, unreliable-narrator
Setting: California, Magdalena Bay (Mexico), Nantucket
Period: 19th century
139 pages · Paperback · Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Content warnings: death