First published 2008
Mafatu trembles at the sight of waves crashing against Hikueru's shore. His terror of the sea marks him as different on an island where his father rules as Great Chief and courage defines worth. The other islanders mock him constantly. They blame him when storms strike. At fifteen, Mafatu can no longer bear their scorn. He takes his dog Uri and pushes his canoe into the very waters that have always frightened him. Alone on the vast Pacific, he must confront the fears that have shaped his entire life. His solitary journey will either destroy him or transform him into the brave son his people expect him to be.
Genres: fiction, adventure, coming-of-age, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, overcoming-the-monster
Setting: Hikueru, Pacific Ocean
Period: 20th-century
128 pages · Library Binding · Turtleback Books