Book Description
1890
On the death of her father, ten-year-old Charlotte goes to live with her grandparents in Russell (Kororareka) in the Bay of Islands. Kororareka was reputed to be “the Hell Hole of the Pacific) in its former years.
It is a strange new world for Charlotte to deal with. When attending school, Charlotte is shunned by the other children. Russell is a pretty bay but frequented by sailing ships, their crews intent on drinking and fighting. There is the added hazard of dodging drunken sailors while making her way around. Charlotte meets an old man on the wharf. Sam Salty is an old whaler. An unlikely friendship is formed. Sam teaches Charlotte about the area, tells tales of his lifestyle as a whaler around the New Zealand coast, and also teaches Charlotte a couple of sea shanties. He calls her “Charlie”.
At school when the book ‘Moby Dick’ is studied, Charlie is able to compare Sam’s experiences with those of the story. Although Sam teaches Charlie some self-defence moves, it cannot keep her safe. Then Charlie goes missing …
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