Call It Courage

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DwayneA

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This is a coming of age story that I got for Christmas back in 1992, but I've only read it twice, the second time I finished it was just earlier tonight.

Call It Courage is the story of Mafatu, a fifteen year old Polynesian boy who was only three years old when he nearly drowned at sea, his mother was not so fortunate. Ever since that day, he has been afraid of the sea. Unfortunately, his tribe values and celebrates courage, so he is often called a coward by his stepbrothers and all the other boys. One day, Mafatu grows tired of everyone's taunts and his father ashamed of him and decides to head out to sea by himself, taking only his dog Uri and his albatross Kivi with him.

After being shipwrecked on a strange island inhabited by a cannibalistic tribe, he overcomes many hardships and accomplishes many deeds, carving a knife out of whale bones, killing a shark, a boar, an octopus, crafting a new canoe, and finally, escaping the cannibals. He returns home triumphantly and finally lives up to his name "Stout Heart" and earns the pride of his father and the respect of his people.

I found this a very good read. Although there was hardly any dialogue and mostly narrative, some of it was telling rather than showing. But other than that, it was an enjoyable read.
 
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