The Pearl-shell Diver: A Story of Adventure from the Torres Strait

by Kay Crabbe

Overview

Sario lives with his family on a remote Torres Strait island, which he never wants to leave—but the winds of change are stirring. The year is 1898, and the pearl-shell trade is at its height. When his father is coerced to join a white trader on his pearling lugger, 13-year-old Sario must go to work as a swimming diver to support the family. He can earn more as a pump diver, and is excited by the idea of walking on the sea floor, but the competition is fierce, and the only captain who will take him on runs the worst outfit in the fleet. With the constant danger of shark attack and the storm of the century approaching, can Sario provide for his family and realize his dream?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781760290474
Publisher:	Allen & Unwin
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Kay Crabbe is the author of Introduced Species in Australia, The Monster Lobster Rescue, and Patch Parker: Son of a Convict.

Editorial Reviews

"fascinating."  —Historical Novels Society

From the Publisher

12/01/2016
Gr 4–7—It is 1898 on a small island between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Thirteen-year-old Sario is torn between his clan's traditional subsistence lifestyle and dreams of using one of the new diving suits with a breathing helmet to dive for pearl shells. After his father is press-ganged into military service, Sario is left responsible for his mother and his sister, who both have diving injuries. The boy is inevitably forced into diving work with one of the exploitative white men who run the pearl trade. Use of indigenous vocabulary, not all of which is listed in the glossary, along with dialect, makes for a challenging read ("We gather plenty slugs and shells—exchange for big guul, sailing canoe. Many paddlers."). A heavy-handed omniscient narration further stifles the emotional resonance. While Crabbe attempts to show the diversity of cultures in the area at the time, stereotypes abound. The only Japanese character is a villainous diver referred to primarily as "the Japee." The plot moves swiftly to an abrupt and happy ending. A hurricane wrecks the boat, and Sario's nemesis has an inexplicable change of heart, promising to build the boy's clan a boat. VERDICT Though the story showcases an intriguing, underrepresented culture and historical time period, its merits are outweighed by the troubling racial overtones and clunky dialogue.—Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA

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