Little Meg has been chosen as the Sunhealer’s Shadow.
She believes her life’s plan is set out for her and is ready to follow this path until the day she discovers a mysterious girl washed up on the beach. She soon finds out the girl’s name is Kalø but not everyone is as ready to welcome the newcomer as Little Meg.
Why is it that their leader, Belas, has taken against the girl? Could it be she blames Kalø for the recent storms and bad weather they’ve had to endure and the illness of her child?
Tasked with keeping an eye on on Kalø, Little Meg has no choice but to follow the girl to the beach, a place she never feels safe. There, under the guidance of the outcast Wet Withens, the pair begin work on building a boat. Surely by the time it is ready, Kalø will want to stay but Little Meg hasn’t counted on the girl’s determination to make for her island home of Dogga.
As the crops fail, Belas turns on Kalø, leaving her and Little Meg no choice but to escape by boat. Only their attempt is unsuccessful and they find themselves washed up on the shore, back where they started. Help comes from unexpected quarters in the form of Little Meg’s sister, Clava and her friend Wayland. Together the four set to sea in the boat built by Little Meg and Kalø and this time they make it to the island of Dogga.
But something is missing, Kalø’s people are nowhere to be found. Danger is all around but Little Meg learns that the most dangerous of all can be those who are closest to you.
In an epic battle of right over wrong, she must dig deep and use her new-found skills to save the ones she loves.
The Ocean and the Bones is an adventure story with strong bonds of family and friendship at its heart.
I liked how the roles of Little Meg and Kalø are reversed when Little Meg finds herself washed up on Dogga and realises how Kalø must have felt when she was washed ashore. Truly a case of ‘walk a mile in someone else’s shoes’.
I was on the edge of my seat, whizzing through the pages to find out what would happen to Kalø and whether Little Meg would be able to save her.
Genevieve Carver has woven a tale of days long past into a timeless story of what matters most in the world; caring for ourselves, one another and for the natural world.
What a fabulous way to spark an interest into the fascinating world of archaeology.
A bonus at the end of the book is the inclusion of both a historical note and a timeline.
This is such a refreshingly different story, and one I would heartily recommend.
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