When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea

by Karen Cushman

From the Newbery-Award winning author of Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice comes the story of an orphan on the American frontier who decides to go west--with nothing but gumption as her guide.

Sally O'Malley is an orphan working at a mineral spring hotel in the woods of central Oregon--that is, until she's chucked out like chewed-on chicken bones, due entirely to an unfortunate incident with a pig and some church ladies.

And so Sally decides to head west to the sea.  Glorious, she's heard. Fierce, she's heard. Why not see for herself? Before long Sally encounters a dangerous bobcat--and that's just the first day! Safe in the knowledge that she's fearless, she continues on her journey with no place to belong and no one to depend on. And that's just fine with her.

Then a lady called Major, an old donkey, a loyal dog, and an abominable brat show Sally that she's not quite as brave as she thinks.  
It turns out that counting on someone else is the scariest thing of all.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Friendship, Childrens, Grief, Travel

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 2025

About the author

Karen Cushman was born in Chicago, Illinois.

She entered Stanford University on a scholarship in 1959 and graduated with degrees in Greek and English. She later earned master’s degrees in human behavior and museum studies.

For eleven years she was an adjunct professor in the Museum Studies Department at John F. Kennedy University before resigning in 1996 to write full-time.

She lives on Vashon Island, Washington with her husband, Philip.

(source: http://karencushman.com/about/bio.html & http://www.arnenixoncenter.org/findin...)

Reviews

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sally may be an orphan and on the run from her former abusive employer, but she is determined to make her way to Oregon Coast and finally see the sea. It is 1890-something and a 13-year-old girl on her own is not likely to survive long by herself on the road, but don’t tell her that. This is a fast past road-trip adventure, full of robust characters and situations.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Orphan Sally O'Malley is ready to embark on a quest. Kicked out of yet another orphanage Sally is done with people. Her destination? The ocean. She doesn't quite know where it is, or even what it is really, but Sally is ready to make her own way. Along her trek Sally comes across Major, an older woman, in charge of her own destiny. Sally doesn't trust adults, so should she really trust Major to help her? Add in one loyal donkey, one brave dog, and one annoying boy and you have an exciting historical tale set in the Pacific northwest of the late 1800's.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily McKee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable and on the long side for how little happens (except some very forced character growth). Sally’s voice relies so much on idioms, similes, and metaphors that she became annoying; I never formed any attachment to her.

I hate to say this, but I’d probably direct readers toward another choice (maybe The Great Horn Spoon, which is similar in structure and setting, but just better).

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookopoly: cover (animal on the cover); a bit of a slow beginning for me, but it picked up as it went along. A mistrustful, runaway orphan, a pampered, whiney 7-year-old boy, a no-nonsense older woman, a donkey and a dog make the journey across Oregon; first-person narration; unexpected, improbable ending. I enjoyed the historical tidbits.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amy McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

have always enjoyed Karen Cushmam's books. She is just so skilled at capturing the sights, dialects, historical details and social mores of an historical era, while also infusing humor and heart into the narrative. When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea is a book that features all these elements.This rollicking , historical adventure story is one that middle-grade readers ( especially girls) will likely enjoy.

The book has characters that have traditionally appealed to this age group: a plucky, resourceful orphan heroine who must face difficult challenges, a spoiled child who learns to appreciate others, and a wise mentor who guides both children to maturity before disappearing from their lives. The animal characters- a dog and a donkey- also have unique personalities, while infusing humor to the story. Several secondary characters are well developed and help Sally come to realize that there are good people in the world who are trustworthy and want to help others. Some of these characters are diverse, adding to the message that trustworthy people can be different from you and can come from many backgrounds.

Another strong element is the dialogue. Cushman integrates idioms and expressions from the era, adding authenticity to the narrative. Yet this language does not interfere with understanding the plot. Particularly fun are the metaphors that Sally uses like " slow as a herd of turtles" and "I squirmed and joggled so much, I would have turned into butter if I were cream". They help reveal her thoughtful, impulsive personality.

I also thought the historical references were skillfully integrated into the story. Vivid descriptions of the various locales the characters travel through, the foods they eat, the customs that guide people's lives, provide fascinating glimpses of the Far West in the late 1800s. Cushman includes a section at the end of the book in which she describes the research she did to ensure authenticity. She does a great job of integrating historical detail into the narrative without overwhelming it.

Yes, the plot is rather predictable. The children successfully navigate every challenge and elude bad people who try to stop them, all culminating in a satisfying ending. I contend this is the kind of plot that has traditionally appealed to the middle- grade age group- and will continue to do so. The historical setting of traveling West also has traditionally appealed to children in this age group.

Thanks to Random House Children's Books, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen Cushman treats us to another historical novel with a spunky girl protagonist. This one takes place in Oregon in 1894. Thirteen year old Sally is an orphan on the run after various unsuccessful stays in unfriendly homes and is not too keen on people in general. She gets it in her head to see the sea, and sets off on foot with little more than the clothes on her back and the red cap covering the scars and shaved head of the orphanage. When she gets picked up by the friendly Major, she begrudgingly accepts the older woman’s generous, kind invitation to stay and help her deliver the goods she carries. Part of the goods ends up being a spoiled seven year old boy, ‘the abominable brat’ Lafayette. The three lonely people become a team of sorts, along with Sarge the dog and Mabel the donkey.

This is a wonderful adventure story with memorable characters and sights. Sally loves words and kids will enjoy the ones she learns, such as ‘apoplexy’, ‘whippersnapper’ and ‘flimflam’. Her language is full of funny aphorisms as well – I loved hearing her surroundings and new friends described with phrases such as ‘slow as a herd of turtles’, ‘close as sardines in a can’ and ‘it griped my gizzard.’ There’s never a dull moment on the journey, and Sally discovers more than the sea – she encounters electricity, Black people and Native Americans, not to mention the first friendship and trust in her life. Turn of the last century West Coast life is described in fascinating details about food, floods and transportation. But it’s Sally’s personal growth (and loss) that is the most interesting part of the book to me and I think young readers will root for her along the way.

[Virginia McGee Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Net Galley offers a book by Karen Cushman, I know I need to make a request. Known best for her Newbery Award winners, Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife’s Apprentice, she is in her element when she sets her books in her home state of Oregon. In Karen’s newest release on March 25, When Sally O’Malley Discovered the Sea takes the reader through that territory when it was still the frontier.

Aging out of the orphanage at ten and being thrown out of the hotel where she worked as a hired girl at thirteen brings Sally to an offhand suggestion of going west at the local store and the desire to see the end of the land and, even more important, the sea. Heading west, she joins a lady named Major who has a wagon, a contrary donkey named Mable and a loyal dog named Sarge. Major’s business is making deliveries of various kinds along her route. On one of these deliveries, they pick up another orphan from better circumstances called Lafayette Maurice Winnbiggler, a thorn in Sally’s side, who is being sent to relatives in Astoria.

The journey to the sea for the group takes a hazardous trip through the wilderness landscape of Oregon in the 1800s with Sally learning coping skills as she faces each difficulty. Sally’s inner journey from distrusting almost everybody, including herself, to finding good people that she can rely on evolves during the time it gets to the sea. The parallel journeys form the arc of the story and will appeal to those who love Karen Cushman’s take on historical fiction.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who's read one of this author's previous books will know that she is particularly skilled at immersing readers in her setting through vivid description and the use of vocabulary that fits the time period. In this case, it's the summer of 1894 in the Northwest. Having lost her job at a mineral springs hotel in central Oregon, Sally O'Malley, an orphan whose life has contained few moments of joy, decides to head west. Her aim is to see the sea, something she's heard about but never seen. Along the way, she meets Major, who delivers goods to various stores, and is accompanied by her faithful dog, Sarge, and a donkey, Mabel. Seeing something in Sally, 13, that may remind her of herself, she offers a ride to Sally. Along the way, they pick up an unusual package--a standoffish, priggish boy named Lafayette--who needs to be taken to yet another relative after other of his kin washed their hands of him. Sally is as rough around the edges as Lafayette is refined, but slowly, a friendship builds, and just as slowly, Sally realizes that there are individuals who are trustworthy, kind, and those who won't break her heart or take advantage of her. She also starts to see that she, too, is worthy and resilient. An ideal choice for a classroom read aloud, this well-written historical fiction might be predictable in many respects, but Sally's journey [to her best self and to the sea] will speak to middle-grade readers, some of whom will see themselves in her tough as nails exterior that hides a tender interior that emerges by fits and starts.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

13yo Sally was raised in an orphanage in the late 1800s, and things have never worked out for her. So, when she loses her latest job at a hotel in Oregon, she decides to leave on her own and head west. She's heard the sea is something to see. She has some tips from her job at the hotel, and buys a pair of dungarees so she can rip off the torn hem of her dress. When a delivery wagon comes by, and a woman named Major offers Sally a ride, she takes it, despite her promise to herself to trust nobody. But when Major gets an unusual shipment - a spoiled 7yo boy named Lafayette, Sally wonders if walking would have been a better plan.

I was so excited to see another book by Karen Cushman! Sally is funny and smart and independent. Lafayette was perfectly irritating, and Major the kindest. Cushman's character development was spot on. Because they are traveling, there are a lot of side characters, but even they are fleshed out a bit - the Saloon girl who brings Sally and Lafayette sandwiches to the drunk robber on the road - tiny pieces of the stock characters of the west. Marvelous. It was hard to pinpoint the time period - Sally mentions once having to wait for something until 1899, so we know it takes place before then. I adored When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea and am so happy to add it to my Karen Cushman collection. Sally and her companions are white.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cushman is a good writer, and this title reinforces my opinion on this. So often I feel like historical books for kids slip into anachronisms and characters expressing themselves with modern sensibilities. Cushman avoids that; Sally is a strong young woman to join her other creations like Birdy, while still having her present her thoughts in a historically appropriate way. This book made me both laugh and get teary-eyed. I did feel like certain plot elements happened too quickly, for example what happens to Major and the ending of the book. But these are minor quibbles. A delightful read that I can't wait to recommend to young readers.

Review based on a digital ARC received through NetGalley.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction story set in Oregon in the 1890's. Plentiful action and adventures kept the tale moving along, and interesting characters and dialogue added to the appeal. Even the animals--a donkey and a dog--have personalities. Particularly enjoyable and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny are the similes and metaphors Sally, the first-person narrator, use in her descriptions.

The younger characters were somewhat unrealistic in their ability to identify and describe their emotions and motivations. But these explanations may clarify for readers the actions and feelings of Sally and her young companion Jack.
Tie-ins:
ELA: similes, metaphors
Social Studies: Western Movement
Fountas and Pinnell reading level: T

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this story is so deeply set in the pacific northwest -- Sally's story is particularly grounded in Oregon history, and it brings the past alive in the way so many of Cushman's books do. There are a lot of strange happenstances that don't feel all that believable on the way (plugging the boat, for instance, and Lafayette's whole bizarre self setting out), and there are things that feel all too believable (the loss of Major, the terrible conditions at the orphanage). I was fascinated by the food, and the ways people travel and the descriptions of the places they visit. I loved the characters and I loved Sally exercising her trust muscle.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea" by Karen Cushman is a beautifully written historical fiction novel for kids that adults will enjoy just as much. Orphaned and adrift, Sally sets off on a journey across Oregon and the American frontier, chasing a deep longing she believes only the sea can fill.

Blending adventure with heart, this story captures the spirit of the frontier while exploring timeless themes of bravery, trust, found family, and self-discovery. It’s a moving tale about finding your place in the world—even when you don’t know exactly what you're looking for

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a trek across Oregon in the 1890s with feisty Sally O'Malley! Raised in an orphanage until she aged out at 10, then sent to work as a maid in a mineral spring hotel, decides to head west to the sea and the end of the country when she is fired. Along the way she meets up with plenty of people who help her, as she in turn helps others. A fun adventure with great information about the time. Recommended for grades 3 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Effective use of period vocabulary, and a good adventure story. Reminded me a bit of Dagg's The Year We Were Famous or Lawrence's The Case of the Deadly Desperado (but mainly because of the language).

[Joan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adventure set in Oregon featuring an interesting group of characters. Sally, an orphan, is determined to see the sea. Along the way she has many escapades but her true goal is finally realized. A delight!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been debating rereading a Cushman because I remember really liking them, but was also worried that would ruin the memory I had so I read her new one instead! 4.5 stars, I did tear up at the end.

[Brittin · Rating 4 out of 5]

(MG) love Cushman's characters and this is a fun way to learn about living in Oregon in late 1800s.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

"An engrossing historical journey, filled with shenanigans that support trust and growth." [Kirkus Reviews]

[Lisa Boatman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, heartwarming story about found family

[Mary Nuttelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. I want to find out what happens to Sally next.

[Julie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sentence level writing on this was so good... very refreshing. Sally is a great character with a lot of heart and gumption. One of my favorites of the year so far.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

touching, informtionl

[LisaSunshineGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent characterization. An orphan named Sally strikes out to see the sea, and has many adventures (and character growth) along the way.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not only is Sally making her way to the west coast in Oregon, she is also learning to trust and finding out that kindness exists in the world.

[Beth Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Sally's voice in this book. The plot was on the predictable side, but the execution was so well done that it doesn't matter as much. Very happy to have another book from this author.

[Ranee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this type of adventure!

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Sally O'Malley Discovered the Sea: DNF. Sally's narrative voice wasn't quite working for me.