Alone on a Wide Wide Sea
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Review
"Lyrical and moving, it is one of the former Children's Laureate's best books for years." Amanda Craig, The Times
"His best book in years… I was completely hooked." Kate Kellaway, The Observer Review
"A powerful story." The Guardian Children's Books Supplement
‘Executed with Morpurgo’s distinctive flair. His language remains beautifully clean and clear.’ Waterstone’s Books Quarterly
"[A] very satisfying read… The masterful writing makes the characters come to life on the page… I'm recommending this to adult friends as well as teenagers." Books for Keeps
"Michael Morpurgo strikes gold… this is a life-rewarding novel." Angels & Urchins
"This is storytelling at its best." Primary Times
"Incredibly moving, harrowing and completely unputdownable. A first class story that brings history alive." My Child magazine
"Completely unputdownable." Families Magazine
The Observer Review
"His best book in years... I was completely hooked." Kate Kellaway,
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A raw and inescapable book of lives as changeable as the sea itself .,
By ELH Browning "Esther-Lou" (Kingston Bagpuize, Oxon) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER)
This review is from: Alone on a Wide Wide Sea (Paperback)
Well written in two parts, the first two-thirds of this book is the story of Arthur, a young orphan shipped to Australia in 1947 without family or understanding. He has to leave behind everything he has ever known behind except for a "lucky key" he was given by his sister Kitty until the time they would be reunited, and the song London Bridge is Falling Down in his heart. Although his first sea voyage is miserable and his first years in the outback desperately hard, he grows to love the sea, the Ancient Mariner is his bible, and he becomes a master boat-builder. Life then takes a dive into deep dark water where he flounders for some years before finding `dry land' once again.The second section of the book has a far more contemporary style: it is largely a diary of one-way conversational e-mails sent back home from the boat on which Allie, Arthur's daughter, returns to England. This is a single handed sailing from Australia to England in her late teens, a sort-of Ellen MacAthur-esque narrative for junior readers -that doesn't pull its punches. It's a long and arduous journey: a grim, cold and wet trip retracing her father's steps, and the highs and lows of Allie's mood on that long solitary journey mirror the towering dangerous waves. It's a triumphant ending though as the story comes full circle and the meaning of the `lucky key' ties into the underlying spirit of the book. This vivid and realistic story, told in such different voices, interweaves the raw feeling of aloneness with the strength of family ties and raises the question of the importance of tracing who you are and where you came from, while glancing upon on a range of issues such as depression, gambling and cancer that drag you down as well as the things that lift you and give the strength and courage to go on. This raw and inescapable book will make you think and stretch your emotions - the lifes of Arthur and then Allie are as changeable in mood as the sea itself - rich fulfilling blues, dark jagged grey undercurrents & persistent stormy seas. And if you enjoy this book (the first part in particular) the raw highs and lows of this, then you must try next the incredible Holes by Louis Sachar.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best Audio book I have come across,
By
This review is from: Alone on a Wide Wide Sea (Demonata) (Audio CD)
I'll cut to how this ended for us as a family with 3 children (aged 10,8,7) when we listened to this on the way to and from a holiday in Cornwall. We sat on the drive at home, with all three children transfixed and with no one wanting to get out of the car until it ended (which was about 20 minutes after we arrived home). My wife was in tears and there was general agreement that it was the best audio book we had come across (and we have listened to quite a few over the years). The first part is possibly more compelling (with haunting digderidoo music between chapters) but it really is stunningly well read and atmospheric.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Surpasses even Private Peaceful,
By andintheend "abal" (Warwickshire, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Alone on a Wide Wide Sea (Hardcover)
This is stunning. Having just finished reading it I'm feeling completely wrung-out and I am now on a mission to encourage every child and adult to read it too. The story is wholly compelling and works on so many levels. It's a book that could so easily give in to sentimentality but in Michael Murpurgo's capable hands it never approaches cloying. Instead you've got brilliant storylines with characters you really care about.This deserves to win every book award it's eligible for. I'm an experienced childrens librarian and I'd say it's comfortably up there in my top five books ever!
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