Carette of Sark

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About this book

A sailor's attachment to his island home shapes John Oxenham's Carette of Sark, a novel set in the Channel Islands around 1800. Its narrator looks back on his family history, describing his mother Rachel Carré and grandfather Philip Carré, whose small farm depended partly on fishing. Their appreciation of cliffs, water and weather gives the opening its close attention to the landscape. The account begins with what the narrator later learned about his father's disappearance at sea.

Island memories lead into seafaring danger. After two days on a spar following the loss of his ship, the narrator is aboard another vessel when he recognises the threatening ship of Red Hand. The captain must weigh resistance against the safety of his passengers. Readers drawn to maritime adventure will find a story told through personal recollection, with local family ties and the practical limits of ships and their guns shaping the tension.