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The Islanders
A reissue of a classic adventure for young adults. The inhabitants of Halcyon Island are ruled by the laws of the Deliverer and follow the same customs and traditions that have prevailed for hundreds of years. The laws state "no incomers," but when Thomas and Molly find a shipwrecked canoe with a boy and girl, barely alive, they are determined not to reject them outright. The effect that the newcomers have on the close-knit community is beyond anyone's predictions.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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About the author
John Rowe Townsend
61 books9 followersJohn Rowe Townsend (born 1922) is a British children's author and academic. His best-known children's novel is The Intruder, which won a 1971 Edgar Award, and his best-known academic work is Written for Children: An Outline of English Language Children's Literature (1965), the definitive work of its time on the subject.
He was born in Leeds, and studied at Leeds Grammar School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Among his popular works are Gumble's Yard (his debut novel, published in 1961), Widdershins Crescent (1965), and The Intruder (1969), which won a 1971 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Mystery. In Britain, The Intruder was made into a children's TV series starring Milton Johns as the stranger. Noah's Castle was filmed by Southern television and transmitted in seven 25-minute episodes in 1980.
He was born in Leeds, and studied at Leeds Grammar School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Among his popular works are Gumble's Yard (his debut novel, published in 1961), Widdershins Crescent (1965), and The Intruder (1969), which won a 1971 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Mystery. In Britain, The Intruder was made into a children's TV series starring Milton Johns as the stranger. Noah's Castle was filmed by Southern television and transmitted in seven 25-minute episodes in 1980.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 11, 2023
Ok, not perfect: Suffers in comparison to The Giver. Reads like historical fiction, not science fiction, and is less beautifully written, and a little long-winded. YA or upper MG, not "juvenile." But, better than any of the covers would have you believe!
My main quibble though is that Townsend doesn't seem as concerned about inbreeding as he should be. And my main complaint is that some of the characters seem iconographic, almost stereotypes. Still, that's kinda the point of the book, so I'm not taking off a star for that.
My jacket gives major spoilers - if you happen to pick this up to consider it, don't read too much blurb.
My main quibble though is that Townsend doesn't seem as concerned about inbreeding as he should be. And my main complaint is that some of the characters seem iconographic, almost stereotypes. Still, that's kinda the point of the book, so I'm not taking off a star for that.
My jacket gives major spoilers - if you happen to pick this up to consider it, don't read too much blurb.
July 27, 2013
The Islanders concerns a small, tightly-knit community who live on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean, 'a thousand miles from anywhere'. There are several main families and they live a minimalist, agrarian lifestyle; the order and structure of the community are based on the Teaching in the Book, which is passed down orally by the Reader, the head of the community. The Reader strives to keep the people in check, away from the tempting thoughts of the Bad One. All seems to be ticking along nicely, when a mysterious canoe appears, holding the bodies of a young boy and a young girl. The questions of whence they have come and what to do with them set in motion a chain of events that will forever alter the lives of the people...
So far, so good...
I really liked the idea behind the story. The fear of 'the Other' that Townsend depicts is significant and can be felt, to varying degrees, throughout the differing reactions among the community to the 'incomers'. The structure of power among the various members of a community is also thoroughly explored and Townsend is especially effective in demonstrating how the community as a whole will react when placed under continuous duress. His characterizations are a bit two-dimensional though - it's too easy to identify who the 'good' and 'bad' characters are, and I think the story itself may have reached greater depth if the characters themselves were more nuanced. In addition, it feels like Townsend plays a bit fast and loose with the likelihood of many of the events of the story. He seems to want to have his cake and eat it too; as a result, he allows many events to occur (to keep the plot moving forward), but then eliminates the likely consequences of actions or denies what would be a probable outcome. While part of the joy of reading is losing yourself within the story, this particular work is not quite strong enough to warrant a complete suspension-of-disbelief. Still, it was an interesting piece and Townsend puts forth some thought-provoking ideas...
So far, so good...
I really liked the idea behind the story. The fear of 'the Other' that Townsend depicts is significant and can be felt, to varying degrees, throughout the differing reactions among the community to the 'incomers'. The structure of power among the various members of a community is also thoroughly explored and Townsend is especially effective in demonstrating how the community as a whole will react when placed under continuous duress. His characterizations are a bit two-dimensional though - it's too easy to identify who the 'good' and 'bad' characters are, and I think the story itself may have reached greater depth if the characters themselves were more nuanced. In addition, it feels like Townsend plays a bit fast and loose with the likelihood of many of the events of the story. He seems to want to have his cake and eat it too; as a result, he allows many events to occur (to keep the plot moving forward), but then eliminates the likely consequences of actions or denies what would be a probable outcome. While part of the joy of reading is losing yourself within the story, this particular work is not quite strong enough to warrant a complete suspension-of-disbelief. Still, it was an interesting piece and Townsend puts forth some thought-provoking ideas...
April 1, 2014
I absolutely love this book. I love all JRT books, but this one's very good.
July 4, 2021
Found this book on a bookshelf in a local pub. After reading the synopsis I made a donation to a local charity and took the book home. I began reading it that night and thoughly enjoyed it. I wished it was longer as I loved the setting, the characters and the way it written. I'd like to read more by John Rowe Townsend in future.
February 16, 2011
Pretty good. It reminded me of Nation by Terry Pratchett. A look at a culture I can't even imagine.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews