Synopsis: When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day.
Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter.
Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
Quick Take: I read this book a month ago and can't seem to shake it from my memory. The story had me captivated from page one, from the plane crash to the daily life struggles on the island. Imagine living every day with fear of the other dying and being left alone, wondering if you will eat today, consider your daily hygiene, its survival at its core.
Now for the twist, dare I say it's written for women... it's readable and tugs at your heart. There's an emotional creep factor in that the boy develops a crush on his teacher (in the most natural way imagined), mix in a longing for human comfort and years of snuggling for heat, emotions get in the way. Time turns a boy into a man, a teacher into a woman.
I want everyone to read this book, so I can talk about it! Recommend for book club? Absolutely! It's an easy read, with a LOT to discuss.
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Review Copy