This is an unusual and gripping book - original in its storyline, and beautifully written. The basic story is of a British boy shipwrecked off the coast of the Canary Islands while on holiday, who, after a short while at sea alone, comes across a girl, also stranded at sea and close to death. From this moment on, the moral tussle of the book is at play - does he save her, knowing that in doing so he will be sacrificing his own chances of survival in having to share his meagre food and water rations....? Thus begins an unlikely friendship, shaky at first as language and cultural barriers stand between them, but strengthening increasingly as Aya shares her gift of storytelling, weaving magic and legend into their perilous journey, and Bill perseveres in learning to communicate with her. Together, they engineer ways to survive, and build a friendship that will last a lifetime.

Chris Vick manages to celebrate so much in this book; friendship, sacrificing our own comfort for that of others, what it is to be human, the power of stories to enthrall us, and the richness of experiencing other cultures. It really is a very special story.