Description
All his life, José has seen the tall ships sailing into Port Louis on the island of Mauritius, where he was born.
As he watches them leave again, disappearing below the horizon, he dreams of one day sailing away with them to see the world. He thinks about all the adventures he would have, the ships he would capture and the buried treasure he would find on faraway islands.
But, when the young and beautiful Rose de Freycinet arrives on board the Uranie in 1817, José’s life changes in ways that he had never imagined. Pirates, cannibals, storms and shipwrecks become harsh realities and José is forced to muster all his courage and intelligence to survive the dangers of shipboard life.
This is a story of adventure on the high seas at a time in history when ships sailed the vast oceans of the world with only the wind to power them.
Review
This is a wonderful adventure story about life on a sailing ship in the early 1800’s.
Told through the eyes of José, the story follows the dangers and hardships suffered by all who relied on only the power of the wind to discover the world.
Beautifully told, this story has great characters and fantastic descriptions of life on board a ship, as well as vivid descriptions of the exciting places they visit.
The story is based on the true voyage of the Uranie, so it would be the perfect starting point for some historical research.
Perfectly suited to both boys and girls, Year 7 and up.
This book was included in our April 2014 Secondary Standing Order selection.
Reviewed by Michelle
