The Wake of the Lorelei Lee

Gr 8 Up—The incorrigible Jacky Faber returns in the eighth book (Harcourt, 2010) in L. A. Meyer's marvelous series. This time, Jacky is accused of treason by the crown and sentenced to transportation—shipped off to Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia to populate the new British penal colony. To add insult to injury, Jacky's ship, the Lorelie Lee, has been seized by the crown and she finds herself a prisoner on her own ship. Jacky is unaware that her beloved Jamie is only weeks behind her, also bound for the new colony. As the ship weaves its way Down Under, Jacky plots and plans, never relinquishing her hope to be free again. Themes for this episode are much more mature. Jacky is basically onboard a floating brothel, and just manages to maintain her purity. Narrator Katherine Kellgren is brilliant, making this story great theater. Her voice, tempo, and pacing are perfect, and Meyer's storytelling is as enchanting as ever. An essential purchase for libraries circulating the previous titles.—Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK