The Sea Flower

by Ruth Moore

In The Sea Flower, Ruth Moore gives a fresh twist to a classic situation. Two youngsters, Marney and Liz (and Toughy, a cat to end all cats) are cast away on an almost deserted island off the coast of Maine in the United States, having been blown ashore in a luxury motor-boat "The Sea Flower". Neither Marney, a shy 16-year-old, nor Liz, aged 11 and a one-girl army defending herself against a hard world, has any right aboard "The Sea Flower". It is their good fortune to find on the island, someone who cares little about rights but a great deal about two frightened, lonely youngsters. Fat and sixtyish, but happy to put himself out to do the right thing however much his feet hurt, Arvid Small is that rare and precious creature, a man of genuine good will. The resultant story of the two youngsters and their stout friend is packed with excitement, colour, and humour. It has, too, all the vitality and depth that only an accomplished storyteller can bestow.

Genres: Fiction

261 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Ruth Moore (1903–1989) was an important Maine author of the twentieth century. She is best known for her honest portrayals of Maine people and evocative descriptions of the state. Now primarily thought of as a regional writer, Moore was a significant literary figure on the national stage during her career. Her second novel Spoonhandle spent fourteen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in the company of George Orwell, W. Somerset Maugham and Robert Penn Warren. In her time, Moore was hailed as "New England's only answer to Faulkner".

In 1940 Ruth met Eleanor Mayo, an aspiring writer also from Maine, and the two soon became a couple. They returned to New York where Ruth got a job with The Readers Digest while writing her first novel, The Weir, which was published in 1943.

Reviews

[Alison Fulmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book by Ruth Moore, my favorite Maine author. She creates very real and memorable stories and characters and her descriptions of the islands are wonderful

[Jess Veo · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a lovely book. not as good as spoon handle. the kids were a bit annoying at first - marney and his situation was so sad it was almost difficult to read. bigelow was a bit annoying until about halfway through. the rejection of the gender binary? very nice, and while i was about to say it maybe wasn’t ruth’s original intention she was a lesbian so maybe it was!
now ARVID! arvid might be one of my favorite book characters in a really long time. i adored arvid. i wish this entire book was in arvids pov. i would read spin off books just following arvid around. what a charming wonderful man.

[Susan Emmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only Moore novel I haven't read. So glad it was re-issued in 2024!
I loved the tale of Marney Lessard, Liz Bigelow and Arvid Small. Also Freddy Fowler and his wife Philomela.
Characterization is spot on and the chain of events caused by the hurricane fall like dominoes until the last page. Villains are awful; good people prevail.
And the capture of setting is vintage Moore. Readers can see, smell, hear and feel everything clearly.
Much ado about so much!
After all theses years, so glad to have had Ruth Moore to read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this is a 'tween many years ago, liked it pretty well and recently reread it; it didn't stand up as well as I recalled. The story is not bad (two emotionally-abused young people end up in rural Maine and, after some stressful events, are taken in to a kind of makeshift family), but it's just not too memorable. Meh...

[Jeanne Houde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took you on an adventure in Maine. You met some people who you wished had known a better life and others who were bad from the start. Arvid, Bigelow, Marny, Philomela and Freddy. Of course you can't leave out Toughy! I now am going to look at another of Ruth Moore's novels.

[mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book was great and well written, clear and concise, the characters were well developed and story kept my interest

[Mike Steinharter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Ruth Moore’s books. They are nice stories, they are set in Maine and they are easy reads for a summer in Maine. This one was also enjoyable.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply excellent! My local library in Maine has a copy and I found it to be incredibly endearing and well written!

[Dan Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well developed characters and scene description.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story with a sad sort of happy ending.

[John Pitcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story that had several interesting characters and adventures with some joy and heartbreak along the way.

[Brent Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth has created some charming and memorable characters here. The flavour is unmistakably East Coast fishing village, a location dear to my heart. Tragic and comic, this was an enjoyable read from front to back, the story well arranged and well told. I found it felt like a young adult book (the story has no parents for any of the characters) but I found it a pleasant read too; being in my 60's I found myself identifying more with Arvid than any of the other characters. Thank you Ruth!