What’s it about?
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a classic survival novel inspired by a true story. It follows Karana, a young Native American girl, who is left alone for years on a remote island off the California coast. The story is one of courage, loss, resourcefulness, and the bond between humans and nature.

Detailed Summary
Karana lives with her tribe, the Nicoleño, on an island they call the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Their peaceful life changes when Russian fur traders and Aleut hunters arrive, led by Captain Orlov. The hunters make a deal to hunt sea otters in exchange for goods, but after a dispute, a violent battle breaks out, killing many of the tribe, including Karana’s father, the chief.

Weakened and fearful, the surviving Nicoleño eventually decide to leave the island when a ship arrives to take them to the mainland. As they sail away, Karana realizes her little brother, Ramo, has been left behind. She bravely leaps from the ship and swims back to the island to be with him.

Soon after, tragedy strikes: Ramo is killed by a pack of wild dogs. Karana, now completely alone, must learn to survive. She builds shelter, makes weapons (even though it’s forbidden by tribal custom for women), gathers food, and guards herself from danger. For years, she hopes a ship will return for her, but no one comes.

Facing isolation, Karana begins to see the island’s animals differently. She tames one of the wild dogs, Rontu, making a companion out of her former enemy. She also befriends birds, sea otters, and even the dolphins that swim near the shore. The novel is filled with Karana’s ingenuity: making a canoe, storing food, sewing clothes from cormorant feathers, and finding new ways to thrive.

There are moments of danger and beauty—earthquakes, tidal waves, fierce storms, encounters with hunters, and the struggle for survival through cold winters and lean summers. Karana learns the rhythms of nature and the value of patience and resilience.

Over time, the Aleuts return, but Karana avoids them, remembering the violence of the past. She continues to mourn her family but also finds peace and belonging on the island. After many years, a ship finally arrives to rescue her. She leaves the island—older, wiser, and forever changed by her years of solitude and the deep bond she formed with her animal companions.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is a powerful meditation on survival, independence, grief, and the beauty of the natural world. Karana’s story teaches readers about the strength found in solitude, the importance of compassion, and the courage to endure against all odds.