When I was offered a chance to read an advanced reader’s copy of this book, I was dubious. Cannibals? Surely, it will have graphic violence in it! Not for me, I thought. But I was assured this book is about anything but violence. I am so glad I decided to give this a go because, had I not, I would have missed an absolute gem of storytelling. 

In the 1830s, at the tender age of fourteen, John Rummel aches for adventure. One night, he runs away from home in New England and boards a south-Pacific-bound whaler as a member of the crew. Life on the ship is misery, though, as the captain is a very cruel man. John jumps ship and winds up a prisoner of the French, who occupy the Marquesas islands. Having made a precious new friend, he escapes from prison and winds up on another of the islands. There, he is introduced to a cannibal tribe, who befriend him. He spends many years living with them peacefully, learning their customs and their language and winds up having a romance with the seductive chief’s daughter, Princess Marita. 

Marita’s love is not nurturing him, though. It becomes a poison in his heart and it threatens his life and the life of the whole tribe. Adventure and danger follow him everywhere, it seems, especially as there is an enemy cannibal tribe who hate him and, given half the chance, will betray him to the French, who never stopped looking for him since he escaped… But John, reluctant to return home for his own reasons, has grown to love this land and stays on. In time, he imparts precious new knowledge to the natives of the various tribes on the islands, and also teaches them a lesson that saves lives: to help one another rather than make war for the slightest cause…

This book is not about violence, nor does it contain graphic violence in the degree that one would expect of a book that has the word ‘cannibal’ in its title. It is really about a daring and intelligent man who, despite missing home, finds a new purpose living with savages and teaching them in ways that can help them without offending their own beliefs and customs. It’s also the sad tale of his painful love for Marita. Truly, a marvellous book, and I am so glad I had the chance to read it. 

I miss its characters, and they stay on with me now, alive in my mind, days after ending the book. This is such a feat for this talented author! Her outstanding writing made every little detail of the tribes’ villages and customs come alive in my mind’s eye, as if I were on the Marquesas islands too. I hope this extraordinary tale winds up on TV or in the silver screen one day!

I shall definitely read more from this author. Highly recommended!

(I received a free advanced reader’s copy of this book, and I made the decision to review it as to support this talented author, and to help other readers discover it.)