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Thunder from the Sea by Joan Hiatt Harlow
Grade 4-7–In this novel set in Newfoundland in 1929, 13-year-old Tom Campbell, an orphan, travels to Back o’ the Moon Island to live with and work for Enoch and Fiona Murray. On his first fishing trip, he rescues a young Newfoundland dog from the sea during a storm and names him Thunder. A local boy, Bert Bosworth, and his father, Amos, also want the animal, and they go to great lengths to find his original owner out of spite. Thunder is a kind, intelligent creature who several times saves the islanders from danger. After a harrowing episode in which Amos shoots and slightly injures the Newfoundland while he tries to pull villagers away from a pending tidal wave, the Bosworths realize that the dog truly belongs with Tom. When Fiona needs help with a difficult birth, Tom and Thunder prove their courage by taking her across the ice by sled during a blizzard. The book concludes with Enoch and Fiona officially adopting Tom and with Thunder’s original owner giving the dog to the boy and his new family. The episodic chapters are fast paced and the narrative creates a real sense of time and place. Tom’s growing affection for the Murrays and his feelings about his pet are clearly delineated. Fans of Harlow’s Star in the Storm (McElderry, 2000), dog lovers, and readers yearning for a cozy tale will enjoy curling up with this story.–Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
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4 comments.
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It is interesting to me that several books on the Battle of the Books list include orphans. Thunder from the Sea, Worth, and Listening for Lions are the three that come to mind immediately. One thing I want to make good notes on is
how each of the orphaned characters are the same and how they are different. Perhaps we can each keep a Venn diagram as we are reading each of these books so that we can keep their stories straight.
I like the setting of Newfoundland described in this book. It reminds me of the coast of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where I have spent some vacation time. Tom Campbell is the main character; when he comes to live with Enoch and Fiona its the first time he has been around the ocean. Although he was worried about whether he would get sea sick, he became a pretty good helper to Enoch when they went out fishing. In this small community you didn’t get much choice of who your friends would be because there were so few people living on their island. He had to figure out how to deal with the neighbor boy who was quite tough and a bully as well.
It was really hard for Tom after he found the dog at sea. He knew on the one hand that this dog probably belonged to someone else and that the right thing to do was to look for the owner. On the other hand, he grew quite attached to the dog and didn’t want to have to give it up. This problem (dilemma) provides a lot of the tension in the story. If I ever had had to live with an adoptive family I think I would have liked Enoch and Fiona.
I can’t wait to hear what you all think about the book when you read it!
has a lot in common with John Worth in the book Worth. I really liked him as a character.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Birchbark House and the Invention of Hugo Cabret are three more books with orphans that I didn’t mention last time. In Breadwinner, Inkheart, and Chicken Boy there are pretty big problems with at least one of the parents too.
Thunder of the Sea is a very exciting book. I like the part when Tom said yes to be adopted and I really like Thunder. Newfoundland was a nice setting. I think everyone should read this book.