19. Wood Island. Still on Grand Manan, Sophie writes that she and Cody met an interesting woman who told them about an abandoned island haunted by ghosts, called “Wood Island.” Sophie and Cody then take the dinghy out to the island, seeking out hermits and ghosts. They visit an abandoned church and a deserted house, and Sophie at one point says she feels the presence of other people around them—maybe ghosts. When they leave Wood Island, fog has accumulated over the water, and Sophie and Cody can barely see twenty feet in front of the boat. Sophie panics and has a hard time breathing, but Cody helps her stay calm; using his compass, he successfully guides them back to Grand Manan.
When Sophie and Cody return to Grand Manan, Uncle Mo scolds them for getting themselves into potential danger. They could have gotten lost in the fog, swallowed up in a nearby current, or even hit by another boat. Sophie says she wonders why she never thought about such potential dangers before embarking on the trip, and wonders whether it’s better to worry about such things beforehand or to not know about them at all. If you don’t have to worry, she writes, then you’re actually able to relax and enjoy yourself.
Sophie and Cody’s shared sense of adventurousness and passion for exploration—traits which Brian doesn’t possess—are showcased here. Sophie’s panic attack in the fog proves as an opportunity for Cody to show that he’s more competent than the crew typically gives him credit for—he successfully guides himself and Sophie through the blinding thicket of fog, comforting Sophie at the same time. Sophie’s claim to having felt ghosts reinforces her sense of imagination and openness to the world around her.
Sophie and Cody nearly risked their lives going on their trip to Wood Island—but that possibility never crossed Sophie’s mind before embarking. Her question about whether it’s better to be ignorant or aware of potential danger reflects a problem at the core of her psyche: is it better to block the truth of her past out of her mind, or to know of her parents’ death and acknowledge the pain of their memory?