Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this middle grade novel.

I had high hopes for this one, but it was fine. It felt long and slow, and unfortunately, I don't think most kids will stick this one out.

Very Karen Cushman- Hopeful yet realistic historical fiction featuring a spunky, independent female protagonist. Somewhat reminiscent of The Ballad of Lucy Whipple, though I like Sally O’Malley better. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This felt like a pretty typical Cushman novel. Strong and independent female protagonist, deep historical knowledge, and an uplifting ending. Fans of Cushman will like this book, those who don't like her style will still probably not.

Sally O’Malley is an orphan. She also got kicked out of the orphanage, as well as the place of business that she was sent to. So, she decides that she is going to see the ocean, and just sets off walking as though she could walk the whole width of Oregon to get there.

Lucky for her, she runs into Major, an older woman who is going her way, and offers her a ride. Sally has always depended on herself, and so reluctantly agrees.

This is one of those books that tears at your heartstrings, but in a good way. Because Sally has to learn to accept that sometimes people do things for you because they really do have your best interests at heart. It is hard to let others in when they have always betrayed you, so Sally is slow to do so.

I kept following her journey across Oregon, trying to picture how wild it must have been around the turn of the last century.

It is all quite believable, and a good historical fiction. I liked how independent Sally was, and how she grew to be full of love as well.

The author is great at writing historical, believable fiction, and if you end up liking this, you should check out her other books.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published the 25th of March 2025.

I grew up on Karen Cushman's works. Her characters spoke to me at a young age about learning to be myself. Sally O'Malley is here to do the same. Sally is an orphan who just wants to see the sea. She thinks it'll fix something inside of her and make her feel whole. Of course, on the journey she learns what she really craves and needs.
This book was a lovely read full of adventure and emotion. It was about Sally learning to be brave in more ways than one, and about belonging. While there was one scene that I felt lacked the emotional depth it deserved, the rest of the book was wonderful and very layered.
Any kid would benefit from having this book in their hands, and I hope they learn to see themselves in Sally.

Thank you to Random House Childrens, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and Netgalley for the ARC.