Three survivors, one raft, and one small island..

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

I last read this book when I was about 13. 

I remembered just how much I loved it then and want to send it to my grandchildren.

However, before mailing it off, I wanted to re-read it.
Especially since I'm participating in Bex's Re-Readathon! 
And this one also counts for #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks and Historical Fiction!

So glad I did. This book is so very powerful!

 

The beautiful hardcover I purchased
from my favorite local indie
bookstore for my grandkids!

Though I remembered some of the main points from my initial reading, I certainly did not remember everything! It was virtually impossible to imagine Phillip's predicament in almost every aspect! Poor guy!

One minute you and your mother are traversing the sea on a marine vessel and the next you awake and are drifting aimlessly on a raft, with a strange old man and a cat! Eek!

Although, for me...a CAT!! Yes!! I do love a furry feline! :)

 And all this when only a few days earlier, Phillip had thought

I was not frightened, just terribly excited.

War was something I'd heard a lot about, but had never seen.

The whole world was at war, 

and now it had come to us in the warm, blue Caribbean. (10)

 This rang so true to me as the thought process of an 
 11-year-old child! Just purely curious... Following the initial 
 attack,  Phillip  defies his mother's edict and goes out to the  bridge/water area  which was to be forbidden territory to him. Though I must give him credit for not lying and admitting where he'd been. As so often happens, he just wanted to see what he could see. However...

My mother closed her eyes and pulled me up against her thin body. She was like that.

One minute, shaking me; the next, holding me. (14)

And, oh, isn't that just so true! I know there were times when I did exactly that with my own sons! I get it! And I'm sure they and their wives all do the same thing to their own children on occasion! Phillip wondered why his father hadn't simply ordered his mother to just stay on the island, then realized that he "just wasn't that kind of man." I don't know. Wow, that would be a hard call, but I believe that if my spouse was considering evacuation during wartime when the area had already been attacked...I might have fought very hard for them to stay and keep the family unit together. 
  
Initially, it is very difficult for Phillip to accept the fact that his only companions were Timothy, a very large Negro who appeared to be quite old, and a "big black and gray cat." No sign of his mother. And once he heard Timothy speak he realized he was a native of the West Indies and remembered seeing him work as a member of the deck gang of the Hato, the ship on which he and his mother had sailed. It was very difficult for Phillip to ignore the fact that to him Timothy appeared to be ugly and old, and the fact that he was a Negro didn't help at all, especially when his mother had made it clear that Negroes were "different" and "lived differently," and "That's the way it must be." He had been taught there should always be a separation from the Negroes. And here he was...with no choice! 

Phillip's head hurt mightily and Timothy explained something large and heavy had hit him in the head and it was Timothy who had hoisted him out of the water and onto the raft. A few days later the pain in Phillip's head subsides, but he is left totally blind, with no vision whatsoever. Of course, he panics,

I'll never forget that first hour of knowing I was blind. 

I was so frightened that it was hard for me to breathe. 

I was as if I was put inside something that was all dark and I couldn't get out. 

I remember that at one point my fear turned to anger. Anger at Timothy for not letting me stay in the water with my mother, and anger at her because I was on the raft. I began hitting him and 

I remember him saying, "If dat will make you bettah, go 'ead." (46)

Timothy was wise in so many ways. And always trying to help Phillip, not just with physical survival, but as true moral support. At this point Timothy tells the story of a man with similar injuries, but that his sight returned within 3 days. Weeks later Timothy states it was months before other man's sight returned. When Phillip questions him about this discrepancy, Timothy admits he can't remember exactly how much time elapsed, but knows his sight did return. At which time Phillips rightfully deduces Timothy is just trying to give him hope, and he appreciates his efforts. 


Timothy does so much more than that, however. He has enough skills to be able to catch fish, make fires, build a make-shift shelter, weave sleeping mats, build a crude containment system for trapping rainwater to drink and cook with. Not only this, but he creates an environment within which Phillip can learn to be sulf-sufficient on his own, just in case he is left to his own devices. Granted, they had the extra advantage of the supplies stored in the compartment in the middle of the raft: 

"We 'ave rare good luck, young bahss. D'wattah kag did not bus' when d'raff was launch, an' we 'ave a few biscuit, 

some choclade, an' d'matches in d'tin is dry. 

So we 'ave rare good luck." He grinned at me then. (32)

As you might imagine, Timothy was only able to view all this as bad luck, at the ship being torpedoed, at his mother's unknown whereabouts, at his father's lack of knowledge that he was abandoned on this raft floating in the water with no sight of land... Timothy was able to think about immediate survival whereas Phillip was grieving all he'd lost, you would expect a child to do. Timothy admits he is uncertain as to his own age, but is aware he is at least 60 years old. Phillip immediately tells him he is almost 12, so that he will stop treating him like a child half his age! :)

Although they have a signal fire all setup on a rise and ready to light at any time, they only hear a plane a few times. There are so many islands similar to this one, it would be virtually impossible to search them all up close. Phillip is able to help Timothy in an area where his knowledge is limited. He is evidently illiterate and Phillip is able to help him form the letters H, E, L, P, with rocks just next to the signal fire. Phillip is kind and wise enough to realize this, but not mention it to Timothy and just help him... As much as I find it very difficult, if not impossible, to imagine being in this situation, I cannot imagine the utter hopelessness that much follow when you hear a plane as it nears the island, and then as it goes further away without showing any signs of having noticed the island or those on it. That would be totally devestating, wouldn't it? 

It made me rather sad to consider this as a possibility, but I could only imagine that Timothy may well have felt responsible for Phillip's well-being due to much more than the fact he was an adult and Timothy a child. Timothy's initial use of the word "bahss" to address Phillip denoted the overt social hierarchy evident in the 1930's/1940's, that white men were bosses of the black men. Although their solitude and skills actually reversed that hierarchy on the island, initially, it was quite evident in both their actions and thoughts. Things progress about as well as they could have. They are able to fish and find enough food to eat, but the weather presents insurmountable challenges at times. A hurricane hits and survival is tenuous at best...regardless of all Timothy's pre-planning and safety precautions.

The first cover image above is a bit misleading, as Timothy made sure Phillip was tied to the with Phillip right behind him, sandwiching Phillip between the tree and the man, protecting him as much as possible. Simply put, Timothy thought of virtually everything! 

Honestly, you should read this book, and if you have children? Definitely! 

It would make a great book to share by reading aloud.

Or they could just read it and discuss it with you. 

I have the sequel, which is actually a prequel, Timothy of the Cay on hold at my library. 

I can't imagine that this book, detailing the Timothy's life prior to the ship going down, 

won't be just as good as The Cay, but I really must know!

And if I like it as much as I suspect I will, then I'll purchase and send it to the grandchildren.

Do you read much "children's literature"?
I find I still love it, and appreciate having 11 grandchildren as a handy excuse to read it! :)

A heart-wrenching yet beautiful rendering...

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I feel as if I have read many books set in World War II. 

I'm uncertain what the actual number may be, but it feels like a lot. 

And I never tire of them. Why? 

I think it is because I hope to be part of a critical mass of people who never forget...

that just one despot can kill millions of people in his own country. 

Then get two of them together fighting each other (e.g. Hitler and Stalin) and they can also manage to displace and kill millions from many other countries, too!

Also, check out Noami's review at Consumed by Ink. 
I feel that between the two of us, a comprehensive picture emerges regarding this book. 

The format Sepetys uses reminds me of All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, with the alternating viewpoints, each chapter narrated by one of four main characters: 

Joana, Florian, Emilia, and Alfred.

There is a cast of supporting characters, also: Heinz, Eva, Ingrid, the Wandering Boy...

Together they represent the millions who were hunted and haunted...

Joana by guilt. Florian by fate. Emilia by shame. Alfred by fear.

Though it could be argued each and every one of the people displaced or killed by either the Germans or the Russians suffered from all four: guilt, shame, fear...and fate.

These four conditions are the result of being hunted and terrorized by psycho-maniacs, 

as were these two 'leaders' and the people who perpetrated their evil intent upon others. 

It seems very easy for some humans to become misguided savages with no regard for others.            My hope is that as a species, humanity can evolve to a point where a critical mass of individuals have reached a level of spiritual and emotional development that prevents them being so easily controlled and manipulated by psychotic sociopaths.

Sepetys is excellent at using few words to denote characterization through actions. Her writing is powerful and intense, yet I found it to be subtle at times. A reader is exposed to many horrors of this war and these peoples' trek to purely survive, without feeling too beaten up by it all. Though when I make such comments, I realize that any one of us reading such a book should feel the heartache, abandonment, guilt, shame, and fear that forced our own ancestors to the fate of such total disorientation and displacement. Regardless of our own specific family's involvement, we are one "human family" and all who preceded us are our ancestors overall. I feel as if few of us know our own family's history well enough to know whether we are descended from some of those who were forced to endure such dire circumstances in the history of our world. I myself felt such a pull as Sepetys divulged some of the political history regarding changing borders before and after World War II. My grandmother had always told me her family was originally from Prussia, and although her ancestors immigrated to the U.S. in the 19th Century, it was due to many of the same circumstances--mainly war: forced conscription to fight and kill other human beings as imposed by similarly 'sick and twisted' tyrants preceding the monsters that were Hitler and Stalin. And, of course, unfortunately, in today's world we still have mass migration of peoples escaping persecution and improbably unsafe and deadly environments created by other individuals savagely determined to kill and destroy. I always shake my head and wonder when we will learn...

One aspect of such circumstances is that in order to survive, one must ironically be willing to kill others as necessary. And we learn that something as simple as leaving an innocent note can inadvertently result in the death of your closest friends.

"The Russians have this region surrounded," she said. 

"There are only two escape routes, through the port at Gotenhafen or the port at Pillau. 

We're all headed the same way. It will be safer if we travel together."...

She had no idea. It wasn't "safer" for anyone to be with me. (80)

Though in the end, Florian is safer than he might have imagined, mainly due to his efforts to save others.

                                                   "It's safer for you to stay with the others," he said.

Safer? he didn't realize.

I was already dead. (47)

Emilia had good reason to feel as if she was already dead. Though she would give life to others in many ways. 

Although they make it safely to the port and board the vessel, no one suspects this voyage is doomed. To compound matters, the Nazis overloaded it with roughly 6-7 times the maximum capacity of passengers. As with the Titanic, when it went down, all those below decks were drowned with the ship and all those on deck were immediately dumped into the below freezing water--neither group with a chance of survival. For example, though one girl in a life jacket ended up being pulled into a life boat, she immediately froze to death, unable to get her body temperature high enough to survive. 

Alfred is an example of a sick mind just fit for Naziism. He was forever 'composing' letters to his beloved Hannalore in his head...

Some at home did not appreciate my cleverness or abilities. They saw me as a birdie with a troubled wing that should remain close to the nest. They didn't know the truth.
I am quite confident that no one is aware of my ingenuity and objectives. 
I just might surprise them all, Hannalore. War is full of duty and decision. 
You know I have made that commitment. [Oh, does she ever...]
Yes, life can be lonely for the truly exceptional, darling. 
So I build my own nest and feather it with thoughts of you. (151)

And he continues to muse about her...

And now, years later I am still confused by our final conversation. Do you remember it?

I remember it so clearly. I ran onto the sidewalk as they were taking you away. 

I told them that half of you was part of the master race.
You stopped in your tracks and whirled to face me. "No," you yelled.
And then you screamed so very loud. "I am Jewish!" 
I am certain everyone heard your proclamation. It almost sounded like pride.

And for some reason those words are now caught, like a hair, in the drain of my mind.

"I am Jewish!" (359)

So...as gross as that vision of a hair swirling around a drain is, it isn't as scary as Alfred!  

Florian's reaction to Alfred as he quotes Mein Kampf:

I didn't respond. Small hairs on the back of my neck lifted in warning. 
This guy wasn't a sailor. He was a sociopath in training. (280)

And as such, a perfect Nazi! Though he was as lazy as he was crazy! :)

Florian, on the other hand, had revenge against Hitler on his mind. At one point they must cross a waterway that is frozen over and Joana nearly falls into the water when the ice breaks. (That event involved a catastrophic loss for their traveling party...) Florian muses:

By grabbing the nurse I had saved her life. Why was she angry? It bothered me that she was mad. It bothered me even more that I cared. But I needed her help. 
So I had to say I was sorry. But I didn't have to hold her hand. (158)

True, Florian, you did NOT have to hold her hand...however...you did! :)

I lay back down on the cold tile floor. I reached into my pocket and pulled out her note about the sewing kit. What sort of girl leaves a promissory note in the midst of a bloodbath?

An honest one.

I stared at her pretty handwriting, memorizing it and tracing over her signature with my finger. 
I had slipped the drawing back into her suitcase. Yes, I was that good. (171)

Florian was definitely good...at many things, not the least of which was forgery. Though his father had encouraged him to create, he would rather duplicate...

He acknowledged and praised my talent, but wanted me to produce instead of reproduce. 
"You are so talented, Florian, why not create something of your own, something 
that comes from your imagination? As the philosophers say, 'Life is short, but art is long.' Contribute a piece of art instead of copying others, son."

But I wasn't interested. I loved the idea of restoring old treasures and pieces of art. 

And once in a while, I like copying them too.

Ironically, though it may seem more appropriate to create your own art, these 'duplication' skills are what allowed Florian to escape. Though it was without his 'ill-gotten gain,' he ended up with much more valuable things! He observes to Joana,

You seem happy working with the doctor. I bet you were top of your class."

She laughed. "Yes, top of my class, but what does that mean now? 
Can you believe I used to study instead of going to the beach?" She shook her head. 
"But I do like helping people. and I like being one step closer to my mother." (211)

However, if not for Joana's advanced medical skills, Florian would have died of his wound and the resulting infection! 

Little does Emilia realize how ironic and ultimately grotesque her lullaby would be...

All the little duckies with their heads in the water

Heads in the water

All the little duckies with their heads in the water

Oh, such sweet little duckies. (76)

This is what she thinks as she floats along, first with Alfred for a companion, then alone...until the raft finally beaches on land.

Sepetys does an excellent job of portraying the prejudice and discrimination resulting from stereotyping, even among those who have nothing and are all just trying to survive and make it to evacuation. For example, Eva constantly wanting to abandon Florian whom she assumed to be a deserter, and Emelia due to her Polish heritage! Sepetys describes her years of research and acknowledges the many people who helped her gather information along the way at the end of the book. I am so grateful for those like her who are willing to dig into the past and educate the rest of us about such human tragedies. Let us never forget just how easily we can be turned against one another, for it is still happening in numerous locations around the globe today. 

Powerfully written books such as this and Doerr's lead me into seemingly wild philosophical ramblings as posted here. It requires much time and effort for me to attempt to make it all understandable to myself, let alone others! Hence, the reason why I have yet to distill my thoughts into a full review of All the Light We Cannot See, which is, in my opinion, one of the best books I've ever read. However, Salt to the Sea definitely runs a close second to Doerr's work. Fortunately, since this is a library book and another patron has placed a hold on it, I was unable to renew it, and read it in two days during the workweek! So perhaps this library thing is good for more than just discouraging me from buying more books, but also encouraging me to review books in a timely manner! Whereas I can wait a bit to review those I own--they're not going anywhere! :) I am grateful to that patron and can only hope s/he derives just as much enjoyment and gains as much insight as I feel I have as a result of this reading experience!

Of course, the more I learn about rich American businessmen who made literal fortunes off supplying the Nazi regime with all types of goods, the more I believe wars could simply be a function of the 'rich despots' who may not physically hold seats of power, but covertly manipulate policies and politics for no more than their own financial gain, to the detriment of the world's population. Ah, yes, despite the old adage, greed is definitely NOT good! I strongly encourage you to watch this video! Knowledge of such things makes me so angry and sad beyond compare... But this book, this book, is a beautiful rendering of humanity. 

Simply stated--you should read this book!

I cannot imagine being disappointed!

Literary Wives #8: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Welcome to the 8th book in the Literary Wives series!

As I started reading this book I was a bit surprised as I expected more of a historical fiction format, and felt as if I was reading a documentary. Once I had read the first 30 pages or so I was enthralled, however! Ackerman has a real knack for descriptors and making the reader feel as if you are standing in Poland, seeing and experiencing everything as you read, as if you are one of the characters. 

I appreciated the outline of research completed to write this book as contained in the Author's Note at the beginning; I am always interested to know just how the author has compiled notes, etc. Although I have read about WWII before, I had no idea of the Nazis' great interest in "purifying" animal bloodlines. For example, Lutz Heck, one of the Nazi higher-ups, along with his brother Heinz, was "completely infatuated" with "the resurrection of three pureblooded, extinct species--the neolithic horses known as forest tarpans, aurochsen (the wild cow progenitor of all European cattle breeds), and the European or 'forest' Bison." The Heck brothers had produced some near Aurochsen and tarpans of their own just prior to WWII, however, the Polish strains "ran truer to type" and were "the clear inheritors." (Was that good or bad news for the Zabinski's?) Lutz appeared at the Warsaw Zoo one day pledging his "help," however, as Antonina stated, "For all we know he may just be playing with us. Big cats need little mice to toy with." Per a mutual friend, Antonina had been told that she reminded Lutz of his first great love, and while she was flattered by his attention and did find him to be "a true German romantic, naive in his political views and conceited perhaps, but courtly and impressive," she was also wary and distrusting of him and his motives. As well she should have been!                                                              

"Under the Third Reich, animals became noble, mythic, almost angelic..." However, in contradiction to this, the high-level Nazi officers got drunk and went on shooting sprees in the zoos, simply shooting animals dead in their cages! Antonina described the heartbreak and sorrow she felt as she heard the shots and realized all the zoo's animals would be dead. Jan was a "devout scientist" who credited Antonina "with the metaphysical waves of a nearly shamanistic empathy when it came to animals," claiming she was so sensitive to them, it was as if she could read their minds. Listening to them die had to be particularly heart wrenching after all the care Antonina had heaped upon these animals to make sure they were well-fed, healthy, and happy. These animals were like family members to both her and her son.

Antonina with Tofi and Tufa, two baby lynx kittens she
spent 6 months bottle-feeding and who remained
dependent upon her for another 6 months until they
reached one year of age.

However, as heartless as the Nazis appeared to be toward animals, in the end, it was nothing compared to their treatment of humans. Not only were the Nazis determined to eliminate any and all people of "inferior value" such as the Slavs, Gypsies, Catholics, or Jews, but they were determined to retain only people they determined to be of "full value." All this to create their idyllic "race of Aryan god-men." Thus confirming what the world now knows--these men were psychotic sociopaths! "Although Mengele's subjects could be operated on without any painkillers at all, a remarkable example of Nazi zoophilia is that a leading biologist was once punished for not giving worms enough anesthesia during an experiment." Unbelievably sick and sadistic. I am always saddened by the cruelty humans have shown to other humans throughout history...

At the time, it was unknown to Antonina just how involved Jan was in the Resistance, and he only told her what he felt she must know, to help protect her. He stockpiled and distributed weapons and most of all, he used the Nazis fascination with animals to his advantage to come and go, delivering money and food to Jews hiding out in Warsaw and also those imprisoned in the Ghetto. It is estimated that the Zabinskis helped some 300 Jews escape without ever being caught. I do admit to feeling sorry for their son Rys who always had to be aware of keeping secrets: about the "guests" who came and went, while secretly delivering food to those hiding in various animal shelters, underground bunkers, etc. at the zoo. Not a life you would necessarily choose for a child, but tough times call for tough measures, and as Jan himself stated, "I only did my duty--if you can save somebody's life, it's your duty to try." This book certainly depicts the strength of the human spirit, both to endure and to help others whatever the risks!

Anonina and Jan feeding a baby bird.

Now for the "wife" questions!

According to Jan: "Antonina was a housewife, she wasn't involved in politics or war, and was timid, and yet despite that she played a major role in saving others and never once complained about the danger." 

1) What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? Jan's comment above angered me. Exactly how was she NOT "involved in politics or war"? Just because she wasn't out and about the way he was didn't mean she wasn't responsible for all 300 people reaching safety. In fact, only 2 of these 300 didn't survive the war! She was the "leader" of this small group in the villa and totally responsible to care for and prevent the discovery of these "guests." To discount her as simply a "housewife," is, I believe, quite insulting! As usual, no matter how much a woman contributes, it seems those contributions are always viewed as less important than those of a man. I urge anyone doubting that to read this book and note how deftly Antonina handled many situations with brutal soldiers, saving not only herself, but all those for whom she was responsible while Jan was gone. She exhibited unbelievable bravery and courage, all while pregnant, then straddled with a newborn, etc. She has my utmost respect; I feel most anyone else may well have "blown it" and been unable to adapt and flex so quickly to avoid annihilation. Though I guess none of us knows how we might handle such extreme situations until we are there. 

2) In what way does this woman define "wife"--or in what way is she defined by "wife"?
I wonder what Antonina might have done with her life if she hadn't married Jan. But since she was the "wife of a zookeeper," her days were never dull! She was constantly overseeing the care and nurturing of all the animals, large and small, with a menagerie living with them in the villa. In addition, she ran the household and had her own child/children to raise. As was typical in this time period, society defined her by her role of wife, and I don't believe she resented this overall, though she did feel defeated that Jan didn't publicly acknowledge her accomplishments. She certainly proved many times over she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and others! She certainly did much more than just serve as a "housewife," in my opinion!  

Check out the other bloggers' reviews as well: 

Emily of The Bookshelf of Emily J

Ariel of One Little Library

Audra of Unabridged Chick

Carolyn of Rosemary and Reading Glasses

Cecilia of Only You

Kay of whatmeread

Please plan to join us for our next read, The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness.

Reviews to be posted the first Monday in June.

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