Customer Reviews
Widely appealing!! - By: C. Price, 10 Dec 2008 
Absolutely superb book!! Borrowed from my son's bookshelf -I was physically unable to put it down. I wasin awe & stayed up into the small hours to reach the end. It's not that often that i feel like this about a book. What a story & what a storyteller! Truly amazing book. A definite must for adults & children alike.
Alone on a wide wide sea is a great book!!! - By: debbbie hall, 10 Aug 2008 Alone on a Wide Wide Sea
I dont read books much, but then when i went to the library the librarian pointed this book out to me, so i took it home & started reading. I loved the first half of it, where Arthur Hobhouse's life story is told,he is evacuated to austrailia with his lucky key given to him by his sister Kitty, where he lives the rest of his life. However the second half isn't as good although it is interesting to find out what happenes to Allie (Arthurs Daughter) on her long voyage to find her Fathers long lost sister Kitty,it still has some tension to keep you interested but it can get a bit boring. Overall it is one of the best books i've ever read,its just a little bit of a let down on the second half but, i still reccomend it to everyone who enjoys a good book.
Brilliant! - By: Kate Short, 27 Feb 2008 
My 10 year old daughter's review of this book is:
I, myself, think that this book was amazing. Once you start reading it you can't stop. So when it's time to stop you have to tell yourself to!
I liked the phrases he usedin the book.
I recommend this book to people who like a bit of mystery & ancient family stories.
A raw and inescapable book of lives as changeable as the sea itself . - By: ELH Browning, 16 Feb 2008 Well writtenin two parts, the first two-thirds of this book is the story of Arthur, a young orphan shipped to Australiain 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, & the song London Bridge is Falling Downin his heart. Although his first sea voyage is miserable & his first yearsin the outback desperately hard, he grows to love the sea, the Ancient Mariner is his bible, & 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 Englandin her late teens, a sort-of Ellen MacAthur-esque narrative for junior readers -that doesn't pull its punches. It's a long & arduous journey: a grim, cold & wet trip retracing her father's steps, & the highs & 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 & the meaning of the `lucky key' ties into the underlying spirit of the book.
This vivid & realistic story, toldin such different voices, interweaves the raw feeling of aloneness with the strength of family ties & raises the question of the importance of tracing who you are & where you came from, while glancing upon on a range of issues such as depression, gambling & cancer that drag you down as well as the things that lift you & give the strength & courage to go on. This raw & inescapable book will make you think & stretch your emotions - the lifes of Arthur & then Allie are as changeablein mood as the sea itself - rich fulfilling blues, dark jagged grey undercurrents & persistent stormy seas.
And if you enjoy this book (the first partin particular) the raw highs & lows of this, then you must try next the incredible Holes by Louis Sachar.
classic!!! - By: S. G. Hogg, 04 Feb 2008 i am not going to go on about this novel however it
really is a book which doesn't strain your eyes and
is simple & such a great story.
If you love adventure this is the perfect book, a
must read. The simplicity yet the attention to
detail sets this book at top of the range, its
interesting & has a great storyline, you wont want
to put it down!!
