Winter of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge

Dear Canada

by Jan Andrews

Sophie’s father is determined to travel to the New World and write an epic poem about his adventure, against Sophie and her mother’s wishes. After their long voyage, they arrive to a “new world" indeed. Will they be able to survive the winter in this harsh country?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Canada, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade

218 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2005

About the author

Jan Andrews lives down the end of a road on a lake and has a passion for the Canadian wilderness. As a storyteller, she has a particular love for the traditional folk and fairy tales. She has read from the world’s great epics and, during summer weekends, has organized complete retellings of both The Iliad and The Odyssey. Her writing comes out of a conviction that young people can find, within themselves, all they need to manage in their lives. She also knows the power of humor as a means of finding the way through the darkness and delights in a rollicking good tale. She is the author of ten books for children, several of which have been shortlisted for major awards.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I generally do very much adore the Dear Canada series as a whole and still very much consider Jan Andrews' Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge an adequate and informative enough offering, I nevertheless also cannot really say that I find either the author's presented writing style or the storyline of Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge itself all that spectacular (and as such also not all that enjoyable a reading experience either). For while Sophie Loveridge, like most of the featured fictional series diarists, is and remains a charming narrator and talented observer (and so so much more personable and tolerable than her extremely self centred and massively annoying, often foolishly arrogant hoity-toity parents), the manner in which author Jan Andrews has chosen to present Sophie's diary entries in Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge with its constant exaggerated emotionality and an over-abundance of all capitals, this tends to feel both draggingly tedious and distracting, to the point of even making my attention and my interest sometimes completely out of the narrative, right out of the plot of Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge so to speak.

And furthermore, even with the storyline and its general thematics, there are at least to and for me certain parts and components regarding Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge that just do not make all that much common sense from a historical (sociological) and thus also from a realistic point of consideration. Because since Sophie Loveridge and her parents are clearly depicted by Jan Andrews as being members of the British aristocracy (of the landed gentry) and considering that Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge is set in the 18th century, I very much do doubt that Sophie would have realistically speaking made such fast and such close friends with either the ship's crew members or with the Irish immigrant fisherman families aboard (both on the ship and then off the ship, in what would later be considered the Canadian province of Newfoundland). And well, that Sophie Loveridge actually ends up according to the epilogue for Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge marrying the grandson of ship-hand Old Lige is even more difficult to fully and realistically fathom and believe (as albeit that their love story is definitely sweet and positively, tenderly presented, for the period of time, it actually reads and feels rather overly fantastical, since Thomas' and Sophie's vastly different social statuses would have been almost insurmountable in in the 18th century and when Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge is set).

Thus considering the salient fact that the Dear Canada series always seems to strive for all intents and purposes to be as realistic and as historically accurate as possible, especially the love story between Thomas and Sophie feels (at least in my humble opinion) rather the opposite of historical reality and this does make at least for me Winter Of Peril: The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge, while still somewhat engaging and interesting as a reading experience, definitely also one of the weaker fictional diaries of the Dear Canada series I have so far perused, still partially to be recommended, but really only with some definite and major reservations and caveats (and a two star rating).

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started reading this series so I could learn more about Canadian history, and also because I loved the Dear America series so much as a kid. This one wasn't one of the
Most exciting books of the series, but the historical note is worth reading. The diary is tedious and I constantly found myself annoyed with the narrator and her parents. Not one of my favorites (I almost gave up on it), but not the worst.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is 1721. Twelve-year-old Sophie Loveridge's father has always been a dreamer. Due to his refusal to be practical, the family has never had much money, and so they have lived at the home of Sophie's wealthy uncle, who is a merchant involved in the fish trade. Every summer, ships he owns are sent to New-Found-Land, in the New World, where there is abundant fishing. Sophie's father decides if he can go on an adventure, he can write a book and become famous like the author of Robinson Crusoe. But his dream changes Sophie's life when her father decides his wife and daughter must come along on his New World adventure. He decides they will travel on one of the fishing ships - and when fall comes and the ship returns to England, they will stay behind and spend the winter in the wilderness.

Sophie doesn't want to leave England. She hates life on the ship and when they arrive in New-Found-Land she is frightened by such a lonely and desolate place. She becomes happier during the summer as she makes a few friends - the wives of two of the fishermen, an old fisherman who keeps an eye out for Sophie, and the old man's grandson. But when winter comes and almost everyone leaves Sophie is unperepared for how cold and hungry and lonely the winter will be.

This book wasn't really one of my favorite Dear Canada books. I still enjoyed it somewhat, but I found it slow moving at times, and not as interesting as some of the other books. The character was likable but her family was rather strange and hard to relate to. I would recommend it to readers who are interested in this time period or who want to read all the Dear Canada books but if you are new to the series I would suggest starting with one of the others - my favorites are The Death of My Country, Banished From Our Home, and With Nothing But Our Courage.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read by an author I'm more familiar with as a picture book author, so was surprised to see her name on this book. A quick read that kept me interested and about a time period that isn't really written about much: when the fishermen came to Newfoundland during the late 17th century before and just as settlement in the area was starting to catch on. The story does take quite some suspension of belief though and I found the characters irritating. The parents have ventured into this New-Found-Land completely clueless and it is their pampered 12yo daughter who quickly learns "the way of the world" and takes on wanting to be "USEFUL" and learn how to take care of herself and others. The book heavily concentrates on life for the itinerant fishermen who traveled to Newfoundland from England/Ireland each summer to return home with their booty before the winter's ice set in. Great descriptions of the entire process they used for fishing from the preparation, to actual fishing, to preserving the fish for the long voyage home. Topics briefly mentioned are the discrimination against Catholics in this highly Protestant British time period and the introduction of the Beothuk Indians. I was disappointed at the brief mention of the Beothuks and also though the hardship of winter was mentioned it hardly scratched the surface of the reality of an Eastern winter. Not one of the best "Dear Canada" books but most certainly readable and the journal format always makes these books interesting and fast reads. As usual with these books, I especially enjoy the back matter which includes a section on what happens to the characters afterwards, an historical essay on the topics covered in the book and pictures of archival items from the actual period.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I CANNOT BELIEVE this book only has a 3.63 rating!!
It is one of my favorite Dear Canada books.
The overall of the book is well written and the characters are intensely well developed.
I read this book once as a pre-teen and once as a young adult because I loved it so much. And I still found I felt the same about this book, well written and well developed.

This book is a beautiful and clear historical fiction. I feel it's a little intense for the younger audience that it is meant to be directed to. Nevertheless, beautiful. And I wouldn't prevent my own children fro, reading it for these reasons. However, I do think some parents may want to.

I found the message of this book adorable! While Sophie's parents were alive (unlike most Dear Canada novels) they seemed, to me, like they neglected her. She grew into a relivable, independent, intelligent, hard-working and resourceful young woman. While, I wouldn't treat my child like Sophie's parents, I couldn't help but feel elated at the end of the book for the difference between the Sophie we met at the beginning of the book and the Sophie that grew at the end.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistically speaking probably three stars, but I have fond memories of this book so the nostalgia factor wins out.

I loved this book and re-read it often as a child, which in hindsight is probably because I was so enamoured with sweet Thomas (which is funny, because on re-read... he's not even there during the winter. I genuinely thought the book would cover two winters because I expected him to come back).

I don't see the sparkle and charm as much now that I'm older, though I don't think Sophie annoys me as much as she could annoy other people. Personally, I find Sophie's dramatics amusing. My very dramatic inner child gives her two big thumbs up. On the other hand, I don't think I picked it up as much as a child, but what a ridiculous man her father is.

I did like reading about the difficulties of plain survival, though, and all the tasks required to just live. Just living was a full-time job in itself!

[Samantha Zhang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book's beginning was a SNORE! But as I got into it, it became interesting, and I HAD to continue. This is a young girl's diary from the 18th century. She used to live a life with her rich uncle, but her father wanted to make money of his own for his family.So Sophie's adventure begins. She rides on a ship, facing icebergs, storms, and hurricanes. When her family makes it, they don't have much to go on with, and to make matters worse, Old Lige, her protector, died. Everyday, she and her two friends work for a living (one who had a child), and face the coldness and dangerous bug bites, waiting for the ship's return for supplies. She also had some good times, with dancing, and witnessing the Red Indians. Will Sophie stay in her new, icy cold home? Or go back to her home country of England?

[Tianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the very first Dear Canada book I ever read, years, and years ago, yet I still remember so much. Those are the books that are really important to us, and really well written, if we can remember them after years of not reading them. This is on of those books. I think this series if geared towards younger children but in some ways it`s not them that should be reading them. For one, sometimes history can be a it too intense...make people grow up too fast, and secondly, it`s the teens who really need to be learning about our history and appreciating where we are now. Dear Canada`s are short enough, yet full of information and great plot lines that keep interests up for all ages! Even if you`re a well read person, and enjoy larger books, maybe even scoff small books....you will enjoy Dear Canada's!
It is a wonderful book in a wonderful series and I would recommend it to anyone!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who lives in Canada and endured winter every year, I appreciated the authors anticipation and depiction of winter. When winter is almost passed and Sophie is so hungry she eats handfuls of seaweed, I understood their hunger. I didn’t mind the authors use of caps as I imagine that’s how a teen would write anyways. I loved the hardworking caretaker that stayed with them over the winter but passed away, I forget his name. This book also made me realize all the logistics that made settling in Canada extremely difficult.

[Jenna Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main thing I remember about this book is: WINTER! I think I thought it was a bit more boring than some of the other Dear Canada books, but they're all worth reading if you want to gain a cursory knowledge of important events in Canadian history. Each book contains a historical note at the end that explains more history and the context of the events taking place in the novel, which I always appreciated.

[Autumn Maisy Raquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would really love to read this one but there's one problem I cannot find dear Canada books where I live I live in Cheyenne Wyoming so I live in the United States but I've been wanting to read the dear Canada books for a very long time I've been really really wanting to read them I should just ask my mom for Christmas to get me one well I would like to read one first before getting it cuz I'm a bit picky with books

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think "peril" was the right word for the title. Didn't seem that extreme. It kind of feels like a filler book, as not much happened plot-wise. It also gets a bit repetitive with listing characters' names all the time. Another thing I wasn't fond of was the constant caps lock. Despite all this the story was good and Sophie an agreeable character.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Sophie's parents decided that they would move to New Found Land across the ocean. So they all rode with their uncles fishers, who go there every year. They built shelters, brought food, and lived there with their new friends from the ship for a few years. I learned that moving can be good. Auryn 12 years old, 2016

[Patricia Kaniasty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series of books. "Winter of Peril" was good but not great. I loved how Sophie grew in maturity and her way of thinking. I was very shocked at the way her parents acted through most of the story. Very pathetic. I wish we could have learned more about the Beothuk people.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it might be fun to read some of the Dear Canada series, since I don't know too much about Canadian history. I find stories of settlers venturing into an untamed wilderness really fascinating, so this was a good fit. Really interesting.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why but this was one of my favourites in the Dear Canada series.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the early eighteenth century, there is a fish craze. Here, twelve year old Sophie Loveridge lives with her parents. Her father has a dream of becoming a famous poet like the story of Robinson Crusoe. They set off to the largely uninhabited Newfoundland, the place where the waters are teaming with fish. They are soon off at sea where they meet the ships men and new skills. Even though Sophie still can't undress herself. When they arrive in Newfoundland, however, Sophie opens up to a new world, one where she wants to explore and help out with the fishery. She makes friends, too. Katherine and Peg, two Irish women who are settling for the winter, Old Lige, an elderly fishermen, and Thomas who is a boy around Sophie's age who is a fisher boy. Unfortunately, several men are killed at work, and for many days, the fish don't come for a long time. After a very long time, the fish come, and they have a successful fishing season. But what will happen after the boat goes back to England?
Rumors of a harsh winter are circling around and soon it hits. After their servant, Old Lige dies, how will the Loveridge family and their Irish friends survive the cruel winter?
Why do people hate on this book? It's fantastic! I wish I had my own copy. Die-Hard fans of the Dear Canada series (like me) will be bound to love this book. I admit it was a little bit boring at the beginning, it soon drew me in. I'm happy to say that Sophie IS more likeable at the end. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
(PS: I tried to keep my review shorter this time because I always give spoilers.)

[Erin Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book VERY MUCH, despite the fact that it was incredibly CONTRIVED and UNREALISTIC. And also despite the character always writing LIKE THIS.

This book was very obviously hatched because the series runners wanted to tell the story of the Newfoundland fisheries, but couldn't figure out how to get a twelve to thirteen years old girl onto a 18th century fishing ship. So they decided that her father would be a wannabe poet inspired by Robinson Crusoe who takes his wife and daughter on a year long camping expedition to the "wilderness" of Newfoundland. Both of Sophie's parents are just straightforwardly awful in a way I've never seen in this series before. Luckily for her she meets some good friends (who knew that poor people could be good?) who continually save her family's lives. This one is a major outlier for the series, but if you can suspend your disbelief for a bit, is very enjoyable. Also educational about how foundational cod fishing was to early British presence in the "New World".

I've generally found the Dear Canada books to be better at representing the history of First Nations / Indigenous peoples than the Dear America counterparts. Here the author does make an effort to address the racist indoctrination Sophie would have been exposed to at home, and to challenge that a little, including presenting multiple perspectives the fishers had about the local Beothuk people. She also presents their massacre as a BAD THING, which, you know, should be obvious but unfortunately is often just skipped over in juvenile historical fiction.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story about how fishing in Newfoundland took place in the 1700s.

I loved Sophie's perspective on things, and wished I could have the viewpoints of the other characters as well. Sophie's voice was very convincing as well. It really felt like reading a 12/13 year old's diary.

The story is a little bit fantastical. Some of the premise seems contrived but I really liked it overall. The ending was rushed, and the epilogue seemed a bit unrealistic but I didn't care. I wish the diary had covered a two or three year span because I was really enjoying it.

[Meaghan Steeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This diary was exceedingly different from the others. Her parents being alive but ignoring her so much of the time, while historically accurate, was still different to see. I admired that she was so resourceful and made herself into an intelligent, hard-working person.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book!!!! I can’t believe a lot of people didn’t like it. This was basically my first Dear Canada book. It’s pretty good when you get into it but when you start it I didn’t think it was very good. I LOVED the ending and I hope you give this book a try!!!

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i sorta hate

[Carley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really get the concept of this book. To me, it is just a plain old diary.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horribly written, horribly boring.

[Renae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, filling in some woeful holes in my knowledge of history. Another good Dear Canada title.

[Kara VanEssen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It must have been frustrating to be Sophie, with no one to listen to your ideas and opinions.

[Angela Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute writing and a good story. I especially loved that the book ended much like a diary should - right in the middle! But it was okay, the epilogue wrapped things up nicely.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fiction-based-on-fact novel about a family starting a settlement on the coast of Newfoundland in the 1720's and the hardships they endured.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars because it's a fast and entertaining read that can easily be a doorway to peak the interest of kids for learning about colonialism.

May I first say, oh my god this girl had some seriously neglectful parents!!!

And with that...this book is the fictitious diary recording of Sophie Loveridge's first year of living like a commoner coupled with trying to survive in a wild frontier that was Newfoundland. Seriously, Sophie's parents sound like they were upper-middle class British citizen who are used to having their every whim and need met by servants. But Sophie's dad decides that in order for him to be taken seriously as a writer (having never worked a day in his life and bumming off relatives) he must move somewhere for inspiration! So he packs his wife and daughter up, hops on a boat and hauls them to a no name cove in Newfoundland. Brilliant!

There him and his wife proceed to be useless while their daughter at first proves to be just as useless but very interested in all the workers because her parents legit forget she exists and therefore leave to to her own devices and utterly alone. She makes friends the a boy named Thomas who is a sailor, and enemies with a boy named Joshua who goes out of his way to be unkind to her because he believes she is utterly useless. At first, he's not wrong. But Sophie wants to be useful and starts with small tasks before making her way up and befriending two irish ladies named Katherine and Peg. She also is friends with Old Lige who teaches her all sorts of useful skills and comes to think of her like a bit of a granddaughter.

It took awhile but eventually you figure out that Sophie is 12 at the start of the novel. 12 and extremely naïve about life. but working with the sailors and the women and Old Lige, Sophie grows a bit wiser. Through Fall she, Old Lige, Katherine and Peg (and their husbands) all work hard to prepare for winter while Sophie's parents do whimsy things like write 100 pages of crap for a novel and paint pictures. When winter finally hits (quite late, if I remember correctly) tragedy strikes and Old Lige (who was hired to help keep Sophie and her parents alive) dies. Sophie tries to keep their little...camp (?) running because her parents refuse to do anything, but it quickly becomes apparent she can't do it alone. Katherine sneaks over once or twice to help before her parents clue in and make arrangements for her to come every day to help Sophie. The parents themselves continue to do almost nothing. Occasionally Sophie's father goes hunting to bring a small bit of relief to their dwindling supplies.

While, the author does mentions (eventually) the sheer amount of snow that happens over there, it's never truly expressed just how bloody hard living with that kind of snow is like. There are little things here and there, but nothing ever made me think of the mountains of snow that happens over there almost every year until one of the makeshift hovels collapses under the weight of the snow. The wet snow. Never is it mentioned how heavy that type of snow actually is. It's WET SNOW. Sigh...anyhow. The author does talk about the cold a fair bit though. But all in all it actually sounded like they experienced a very mild and short East coast Canadian winter....

I do like how the author portrayed Sophie's struggles and her significant growth as a person. There are a few encounters with a local band of Indigenous people, as well as a slaughter of them (mentioned only. No direct 'contact' described from our narrator as she was not there). This is a band of Indigenous people who were eventually wiped out completely. The last survivor was to inspiration for Pocahontas... if I remember correctly. However, Pocahontas is a highly romanticized and inaccurate piece of work. The historical notes provides only two paragraphs of additional information in regard to this genocide.

Of course, I guess you could argue that it is a children's book I was reading. But still!

Conclusion

Winter of peril is a good starting point to get children interested in historical events in regard to the colonization of North America with its personal point of view. I would say this is aimed at 10+ preteens.

It a quick, interesting read.

Note:
There is mentions of domestic abuse (which is too easily solved, I think), mass murder of indigenous people (off screen, so to speak), drowning death (off screen), more natural death of an older person, and eludes to near starvation, etc. I don't think it's too much for a 10+ child to handle and some of it may even be a good segway into discussions of things such as cultural genocide. Just a thought...

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book put me to sleep. Twice. Not a good sign.

I just don't even know what I want to say about my experience reading this. It was very hard to feel invested because there were so many characters but only a few were given attention. Sophie felt very immature for her age and got on my nerves with her RANDOMLY CAPITALIZING WORDS FOR EMPHASIS in the middle of sentences. Italics is available for a reason. She also had the habit of "putting quotes around phrases" but never actually writing any dialogue, and while normally that's not an issue for me, it was used way too much here. And oh my God, if I have to hear any combination of the names "Katherine and Peg and Eamon and Aengus" one more time, I think I'm going to scream.

On top of that, the characters weren't that likable. Eamon and Katherine were involved in a domestic abuse situation that was touched upon very briefly but never resolved, which didn't sit well with me. Sophie's parents were neglectful and selfish and never really grew out of that. Her "romance" with Thomas was laughable and nonexistent. I didn't sympathize with anyone the entire time I was reading.

It's a shame I didn't enjoy this book. The history parts were kind of interesting, but the more I read, the more I realized the title isn't accurate at all. The winter isn't perilous at all, at least not on the scale I was expecting. I've lived through winters harsher than the one described here. The only way I'd recommend this is if you're a completionist like I am. But on the bright side, it also doubles as a cure for insomnia.