Caught between a young boy's curiosity and a veteran sailor's hard-earned wisdom, The Coral Island opens with the Pacific battling a violent Atlantic storm and the Seagrave family bound for a new life in Australia. Captain Osborn, the irritable but capable Mackintosh, and the calm, resourceful Masterman Ready help guide William Seagrave through danger, while the family's brave servant Juno and even the household dogs become part of the voyage's lively, intimate world. Calm moments at the Cape of Good Hope bring lessons in history, humility, and practical knowledge, but also mischief: Tommy's reckless challenge to a lion in Cape Town's gardens turns wonder into terror. From there, the voyage and island life alternate between peril and reflection. An albatross and a lesson on sea birds give way to ominous skies, a plunging barometer, and a catastrophic gale that tears away the Pacific's masts, kills sailors, and leaves the survivors fighting for their lives. Ready's tales of a baboon attack, and Mr. Seagrave's meditations on creation, labor, books, and faith, deepen the novel's blend of adventure, moral instruction, and reverence for Providence in the face of nature's power. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.
