Joe and the Wreck of the TribuneJoe and the Wreck of the Tribune

"When every aspect of your life is ruled by the whims of the sea, the water can be your best friend--and your worst enemy. In 1797, an orphan named Joe is determined to set sail and leave his small town of Herring Cove behind. Here, his life isn't his own: he has to do what grouchy Eli and strict Gram say, because (as they like to remind him), they've given him food and shelter. They order him around and keep secrets from him, in the contents of Gram's medicine bag and in the mysterious sea chest hidden at the back of Eli's shed. The Atlantic Ocean is Joe's ticket to freedom. When he's out on the water, he delights in the ocean spray and rolling waves. But a gentle sea can turn choppy and deadly at any moment, which Joe and his neighbours know all too well. When a sailing ship wrecks nearby during a raging storm, the locals don't dare attempt a rescue. Can Joe stand by and listen to the helpless cries of the exhausted sailors, or should he put his life on the line and brave the merciless Atlantic? Inspired by the true story of the shipwreck of the HMS Tribune and the heroism of a boy known as Joe Cracker, this exciting coming-of-age adventure is brimming with rich detail and captivating suspense."--