The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean
1858
The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean
1858
The adventure novel that defined a genre and shaped the childhoods of generations. When Ralph Rover and his two companions are swept overboard during a ferocious Pacific storm, they wash up alone on a pristine coral island where every day tests their courage and their friendship. Ballantyne captures the raw thrill of boyhood freedom: building a raft from wreckage, wrestling with sharks, watching whales spout in the lagoon at sunrise. Three boys, one deserted island, and nothing but their wits between them and the vast Pacific. Written in 1858 but still startlingly fresh in its celebration of nature and self-reliance, this is adventure at its most elemental. It influenced everyone from Robert Louis Stevenson to William Golding, yet stands beautifully on its own. For anyone who ever dreamed of escape, of proving themselves against the wild, of a world where survival depends on daring.
