by Scott O’Dell
First published 1976
Zia's world is divided. At home, she follows the traditional ways of her Chumash mother. But at the nearby Mission, she's drawn to the modern life offered by the Spanish settlers. When her aunt Karana returns from the Island of the Blue Dolphins, Zia must choose between the old and the new - and find her own path forward.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: California, Island of the Blue Dolphins
Period: 20th-century
144 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Laurel Leaf