A Day with Bonefish Joe

by Elizabeth Howard, Diana Wege (Illustrator)

Young and fearless Flossie lives on Harbour Island, a small outpost in the Bahamas known for its exquisite three-mile pink sand beach and for bonefishing, a compelling catch-and-release enterprise that pits a determined angler against an inedible, surprisingly powerful, and elusive quarry.

Flossie's persistent dream is to go bonefishing with the legendary guide Bonefish Joe, a beloved island institution who picks up clients his wealthy clients at the dock and returns them hours later, still fishless, but satisfied. One Sunday, after church, Flossie's wish is surprisingly granted and she discovers the allure, the challenge, and the delights of hooking (and releasing) one of angling's greatest prizes.

40 pages, Hardcover

First published November 9, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth Howard (Mizner) was born in 1907 in Detroit, and spent most of her life in Michigan. Descended from a noteworthy historic family, she loved history herself and enjoyed sharing her strong sense of the past in historical novels for teenage girls.

Reviews

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a special book for the author because it is semi-autobiographical and I loved that part of the story. I do wish that I had been given the opportunity to meet Bonefish Joe. I also think that my sons would have loved this one when they were little boys as fishing has always been such an important part of their lives. This one captured my attention and was a lovely reading experience for me but I wonder if some children would not be as drawn in as the story may speak to a specific audience. I am going to experiment with this one when I next have a visit from my grandson.

[Pat Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story about a special day in a young Bahamian girl's life. The pace of the island and the allure of getting to spend a day with Bonefish Joe, a legendary fishing guide on the island, is so well captured that this story will evoke satisfying memories of special relationships for older readers. Young ones will get such a tactile sense of the sounds, sights and smells of Flossie's day on the sea that they'll wish they could join her. In fact, the lush illustrations and lyrical text almost provide readers a mini-vacation.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is based on real people and places on a small island in the Bahamas. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the story is extremely well-written. You feel like you are going on an adventure along with the main character.

I was lucky enough to win this book in a Goodreads giveaway.