Viola and Wilmurare orphans living in the salt-covered town of Caveat. Their parents having abandoned them, the kids were originally being watched by a woman who read them stories about pirates. But one morning, they woke up to find that she had disappeared. Viola and Wilmurwere left to fend for themselves and spend their time having adventures outside in the barren town and poring over the books in their tiny hut. The two are as close as close can be, living the Peter Pan’s Lost Boys lifestyle, until someone shows up at their door…
…and quickly breaks it down. Captain Cadence Chase is the leader of The Calamary Rose, a ship that is most definitely not a pirate ship full of pirates, nope, not at all, because all the pirates were killed off years ago. Chase is looking for a book that she has learned is hidden in the children’s hut, and Viola knows precisely where it is. Viola makes a deal with Chase: take her and Wilmur away from Caveat to an actual thriving town, and she’ll give them the book. The captain agrees.
Viola and Wilmur are now aboard The Calamary Rose with the colorful crew, who are definitely not pirates. They are a friendly bunch, and soon, Wilmur is having the best time ever and thinking hi-diddle-dee-dee, a not-pirate’s life for he. Meanwhile, Viola prowls the ship, not quite trusting Chase. In fact, Viola suspects she might even be Scarlet Morning, a terrifying pirate of legend, famous for her cruelty.
As the ship sails through the salt waters (like, it’s all salt–they’re pushing through salt), bonds will be made and broken, secrets will be revealed, and dangers lurk around every corner. The cherry on top of this thrilling novel is that it has Stevenson’s illustrations throughout so that you can see the kids, the merry crew members, the salt lands, the vast skies, and more.
Reading this book is a gift to your brain. The story is unique, full of humor and creativity, yet it also feels familiar, as if you’re visiting an old friend, even though you haven’t read it before. It definitely feels like you’re reading something special. I was entranced from the first pages, with its whimsical and sometimes ominous tones. One of the things that makes Scarlet Morning wonderful is the danger within it and its refusal to talk down to children or hide the scary parts from them. The world can be a harsh place, and adults often don’t know what to do. I also appreciated that the adult characters treat the children like equals.
Scarlet Morning is an indelible novel that will grab you right away and remind you of other adventure classics, like The Golden Compass and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I was so sad when it ended because it was such a joy to read. You’ll want this for your home library or for the young readers in your life, who will share it for generations to come.
