the cay

TITLE: The Cay by Theodore Taylor

GENRE: Multicultural

ANNOTATION: In a matter of staying alive, the bond between two strangers can mean life or death, regardless of what you can see.

Who hasn't dreamed of being stranded on a deserted tropical island, away from civilization, fending for oneself? Well, the reality can be a whole lot more difficult than the fantasy. Young Phillip discovers this firsthand in The Cay. En route to the United States mainland with his mother during WWII in the Dutch West Indies, Phillip's ship is gunned down and he finds himself alone on a raft with the ship's cat and a rugged old black fellow by the name of Timothy. With little hope of rescue, the trio are washed ashore a desolate cay (i.e. a small coral island) and with Phillip being made blind from a blow to the head, he must rely on Timothy in ways that he would have never imagined. Trials and tribulations bring these two together in a culmination of unforeseeable circumstances.

Taylor's young adult novel illuminates the tensions that exist in a segregated society. Even though Phillip lives on an island where he regularly interacts with "Negroes," the voice of his suspicious mother lurks in the back of his mind, especially during his early experiences with Timothy. "They're different from us, and they live differently." In his blind state, Phillip learns to realize that deep down, he and the old man aren't much different; he even says to him, "Are you still black?" at one point (jokingly, of course, but the heart is still behind the sentiment). This novel does a great job of presenting a picture of clashing cultures in an exciting tale, which definitely will have teen readers (and adults as well) vividly placing themselves on this isolated cay.