Book Review by Trudi van Dorp
The setting couldn't be more exciting and romantic. Traveling from cold Canada to the warm and tropical Caribbean in the spring of 1973, 12-year-old Jean noted precious details of the long voyage and the following four-week stay on the islands of Santa Helena and Roatán.
This book is a must-read for everyone who loves the area. In 1973, the resorts were hardly there, but expectations of a diving school, tourists to attract, and business to be made were in the air.
Jean and her father, uncle, and grandparents stay on this practically untouched beautiful island to encounter the original population with their culture, language, and cuisine. The ambiance is of an original society with their own rules for order and punishment. It is a discovery trip for the group while working and enjoying the tropical environment.
The poetic language in this book contributes to the atmosphere of the holiday. Wonderful landscapes, descriptions of views, boat trips, visits to the village, and new experiences for Jean, who is fully present to observe and learn. The wise remarks of her grandmother, the teachings of her male family members, and the stories of the islanders help shape this young soul.
This is a book to obtain for lovers of travel stories, whether to dream away with as a visitor to Honduras and its environment or snuggled in an armchair with a crackling fire during winter nights, imagining a worry-less stay far, far away.
