Charlie Bell, the Waif of Elm Island

An orphan boy escapes pirates by leaping into the dark sea. He washes up on Elm Island with nothing but terror and the clothes on his back. Ben and Sally Rhines take him in, and slowly, through hard work and quiet kindness, Charlie Bell stops running from his past and starts building a future. Set during the Revolutionary War on a remote Maine island, this is the story of how a mistreated waif becomes a cherished son. The sea is dangerous, but so is loneliness, and sometimes the bravest thing a boy can do is let himself be loved. Adventure, heart, and the long road from survival to belonging.