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daisyeliza's review against another edition
5.0
Heartbreakingly beautiful.
This was my 3rd time reading this book and I have loved it every time. Part 1 is definitely better but part 2 was better than I remembered it being. If someone asked me what my favourite book is, I would say this one.
This was my 3rd time reading this book and I have loved it every time. Part 1 is definitely better but part 2 was better than I remembered it being. If someone asked me what my favourite book is, I would say this one.
aarjak9's review against another edition
4.0
Am I crying? Yes I am!
This book is a gem. Michael Morpurgo, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! These 'thank you's can never be enough!
This book follows the life of Arthur Hobhouse, then the journey of his daughter, Alexie (Allie) Hobhouse. Arthur, when he was 6, was transported to Australia. He didn't know who his family was, but he remembered his elder sister, Kitty, who had given him a lucky key to where. In Australia, he was a part of a farm, which had made his life a living hell. The farmer was...ugh.
Then, he was with Aunty Megs. An animal lover, and a farm owner. She would take care of the wild animals, and then leave them on their own, as they grew up. She had a wombat - Henry, who stole many fabrics! And Barnaby, a donkey, who would never do an ee-aw!
She was so good, I loved her so much. So much. But then, the kids were growing up, and she had to leave them, didn't she?
With Aunty Megs, Arthur and Marty had learned building yachts, and now they were building bigger yachts and boats. They would go for trials on the sea and soon came to love it.
The rest of the journey was hard for me to follow, because of the tears in my eyes. The deaths, ugh.
Then came his family, and Allie. The parts with Aunty Megs and Zita were the best of all.
Then we follow Allie's journey. With her father's lucky key, the emails, a guardian Albatross, and Kitty 4, why fear?
It wasn't a private journey, Allie had a website for tracking how far Kitty 4 went, and for tracking the real Kitty. There were interviews and so many articles.
This journey was so heartfelt. Sometimes I doubted that they would ever find Kitty, but see for yourself. All the questions are clear.
I loved it, with all my heart. I just want more.
➵
This book is a gem. Michael Morpurgo, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! These 'thank you's can never be enough!
This book follows the life of Arthur Hobhouse, then the journey of his daughter, Alexie (Allie) Hobhouse. Arthur, when he was 6, was transported to Australia. He didn't know who his family was, but he remembered his elder sister, Kitty, who had given him a lucky key to where. In Australia, he was a part of a farm, which had made his life a living hell. The farmer was...ugh.
Then, he was with Aunty Megs. An animal lover, and a farm owner. She would take care of the wild animals, and then leave them on their own, as they grew up. She had a wombat - Henry, who stole many fabrics! And Barnaby, a donkey, who would never do an ee-aw!
She was so good, I loved her so much. So much. But then, the kids were growing up, and she had to leave them, didn't she?
With Aunty Megs, Arthur and Marty had learned building yachts, and now they were building bigger yachts and boats. They would go for trials on the sea and soon came to love it.
The rest of the journey was hard for me to follow, because of the tears in my eyes. The deaths, ugh.
Then came his family, and Allie. The parts with Aunty Megs and Zita were the best of all.
Then we follow Allie's journey. With her father's lucky key, the emails, a guardian Albatross, and Kitty 4, why fear?
It wasn't a private journey, Allie had a website for tracking how far Kitty 4 went, and for tracking the real Kitty. There were interviews and so many articles.
This journey was so heartfelt. Sometimes I doubted that they would ever find Kitty, but see for yourself. All the questions are clear.
I loved it, with all my heart. I just want more.
➵
theseasidehobbitreads's review against another edition
4.0
What an emotional read!
The story follows Arthur who is orphaned in WW11 forced to separate from his sister and is sent to the other side of the world. There his extraordinary journey continues as he and his newfound friend Marty survive brutal captivity on a working farm, finds a new family with the eccentric Aunty Meg and her animals and discovers their talent for designing yachts.
Sixty years later Arthur's daughter Allie sets sail single-handed in a yacht designed by her father, determined to find his long-lost sister in England.
This was certainly an emotional voyage of a book! I loved the continuous references to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the imagery and meaning that is created from it. I would certainly suggest that this book should be for a much older child due to the occasional swear word and very dark themes including suicide. I definitely preferred the first half of the book as I found the emails quite repetitive and generally lost my interest a bit but nevertheless, this was a poignant and powerful story that conveys the value of family, friendship, hope and love.
The story follows Arthur who is orphaned in WW11 forced to separate from his sister and is sent to the other side of the world. There his extraordinary journey continues as he and his newfound friend Marty survive brutal captivity on a working farm, finds a new family with the eccentric Aunty Meg and her animals and discovers their talent for designing yachts.
Sixty years later Arthur's daughter Allie sets sail single-handed in a yacht designed by her father, determined to find his long-lost sister in England.
This was certainly an emotional voyage of a book! I loved the continuous references to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and the imagery and meaning that is created from it. I would certainly suggest that this book should be for a much older child due to the occasional swear word and very dark themes including suicide. I definitely preferred the first half of the book as I found the emails quite repetitive and generally lost my interest a bit but nevertheless, this was a poignant and powerful story that conveys the value of family, friendship, hope and love.
pauline_e's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to the audible version which I had to get used to at first. However the book grew on me and I liked the fact that half way through the book, it changed course. Sweet story about courage and goodness in the face of adversity
geocul's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
richard_morrow's review against another edition
4.0
A pleasant tale which centres around family, adventure and the importance of never giving up on a dream. Would make a good premise for a screenplay and movie of a similar tone to "Life of Pi".
hweezbooks's review against another edition
5.0
"So I got an albatross and an astronaut all in one day. Not bad eh?" -- Allie Hobhouse in Alone on a Wide Wide Sea.
The albatross and the astronaut are just two of the eye-opening elements of this book that will just blow you away.
As with the lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, this book culminates in a long journey alone on the wide wide sea. It relates the fictitious journeys of a man who was sent to Australia as a 6 year-old orphan, and later on his daughter who makes the lone journey by boat, back to England. But they are parallel journeys because both go through extreme hardship yet uplifting moments, and they attest to the fact that humankind will always fight to survive, with people and animals lending that crucial support at a particularly down time.
I have always said this and I will say it again. That Morpurgo is a master story-teller and it is beyond my comprehension how such diverse and heartfelt stories can come out from just one person. This time, the story has its historical roots in the 1940s-60s when thousands of British children were sent alone to Australia (also New Zealand and Canada). It brings to life what the displacement causes to young Arthur Hobhouse, the abuse and pain he goes through, as well as the final resolution. This is when the reader goes on a journey with his daughter Allie, copy of Ancient Mariner in hand, with albatross and astronaut to finally find out where Arthur came from.
This is another "Modern Classic" and a must-read for anyone 10-12 years and above!
The albatross and the astronaut are just two of the eye-opening elements of this book that will just blow you away.
As with the lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, this book culminates in a long journey alone on the wide wide sea. It relates the fictitious journeys of a man who was sent to Australia as a 6 year-old orphan, and later on his daughter who makes the lone journey by boat, back to England. But they are parallel journeys because both go through extreme hardship yet uplifting moments, and they attest to the fact that humankind will always fight to survive, with people and animals lending that crucial support at a particularly down time.
I have always said this and I will say it again. That Morpurgo is a master story-teller and it is beyond my comprehension how such diverse and heartfelt stories can come out from just one person. This time, the story has its historical roots in the 1940s-60s when thousands of British children were sent alone to Australia (also New Zealand and Canada). It brings to life what the displacement causes to young Arthur Hobhouse, the abuse and pain he goes through, as well as the final resolution. This is when the reader goes on a journey with his daughter Allie, copy of Ancient Mariner in hand, with albatross and astronaut to finally find out where Arthur came from.
This is another "Modern Classic" and a must-read for anyone 10-12 years and above!
emilyg's review against another edition
3.0
A lovely story about life and hope.
Arthur isn’t entirely convinced that he hasn’t made up the memory of his sister, but with a key round his neck he has hope. When he makes best-friends with another boy on the boat to Australia the pair find themselves on a bus full of boys driving through a new world full of wonder. Where they end up however turns out to be more of a hell. The boys help each other through though and as time passes their anger grows enough to give them the courage to do something about it.
Where they end up finally allows Arthur to feel like he belongs but the troubles of his life aren’t over yet. It will take a lot more battering for him to finally give up on himself and lead him to the woman who will save him. Giving him a life he loves with a wife and a daughter and a promise to find out if Kitty exists.
Arthur’s story however is unfinished. Does his sister Kitty exist. Daughter Allie wants to know and she is willing to go around the world to find out. Putting herself through a physical and emotional journey she sets off for England hoping to answer the question of what her father’s key opens.
I bought this book a long time ago and I would say it is aimed at people around 9 -13. Despite of this I am so glad I have finally read it. It has turned out to be a lovely book. With well written characters and a plot full of hope and loss I enjoyed every minute of it. Michael Morpurgo was one of my favourite authors when I was younger and yet again he has delivered.
Arthur isn’t entirely convinced that he hasn’t made up the memory of his sister, but with a key round his neck he has hope. When he makes best-friends with another boy on the boat to Australia the pair find themselves on a bus full of boys driving through a new world full of wonder. Where they end up however turns out to be more of a hell. The boys help each other through though and as time passes their anger grows enough to give them the courage to do something about it.
Where they end up finally allows Arthur to feel like he belongs but the troubles of his life aren’t over yet. It will take a lot more battering for him to finally give up on himself and lead him to the woman who will save him. Giving him a life he loves with a wife and a daughter and a promise to find out if Kitty exists.
Arthur’s story however is unfinished. Does his sister Kitty exist. Daughter Allie wants to know and she is willing to go around the world to find out. Putting herself through a physical and emotional journey she sets off for England hoping to answer the question of what her father’s key opens.
I bought this book a long time ago and I would say it is aimed at people around 9 -13. Despite of this I am so glad I have finally read it. It has turned out to be a lovely book. With well written characters and a plot full of hope and loss I enjoyed every minute of it. Michael Morpurgo was one of my favourite authors when I was younger and yet again he has delivered.
marie_anne's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0