The Cay

The Cay
By Theodore Taylor (Warning: Many spoilers)

As I ride the train every morning and afternoon I look around me and see that none of the people surrounding me are the same. Each person has a different physical appearance, a different ethnic background, and a different personality, and although we are different we are not afraid to associate with one another. But it wasn't always like this; in the setting of The Cay, people don’t mix. 

The Cay takes place during World War II; the protagonist is a young boy named Phillip Enright who lives with his mother and father in Curacao. As the war advances their home is no longer safe, therefore his mother makes the decision that Phillip will move with her to Virginia, leaving behind her husband, until the war is over. His mother is extremely afraid of planes and thinks it’s safer to go on a boat, but, ironically, their boat is torpedoed by Germans. Phillip is knocked on the head, and when he wakes up he is floating on a raft with a black West Indian man named Timothy. Timothy was one of the crew members on the ship; with his strong capabilities he was able to save himself and Phillip. Growing up with a racist mother Phillip assumes Timothy is an idiotic black man who doesn't know what he is doing. Timothy and Phillip don’t get along; for example, while Timothy wants to ration the clean water Phillip wants to drink as much as he pleases. His head injury and exposure to the sun leave Phillip completely blind.

Finally, Timothy spots an island, but Phillip doesn't want to settle there because he believes they have better chances at sea. Timothy, a very good sailor, figures that they are on Devil’s Mouth, an island barely accessible to boats. Here, they’ll have to wait for an airplane.The relationship between Timothy and Phillip doesn't get any better. Phillip feels superior when he learns that Timothy cannot read or write, and Timothy sees Phillip as a lazy, spoiled brat when he won’t help him build a shelter or hunt. One day both lose it and exchange insults and slaps, which actually opens their eyes that they just trying to help each other. They soon start working together; with the help of Timothy, despite his blindness, Phillip becomes independent as he learns to hunt and build. As if being stranded on a deserted island isn't bad enough, a hurricane is heading their way. Timothy does all he can to prepare for the hurricane but it isn't enough, and everything is blown away. Timothy ties himself and Phillip to the biggest tree on the island, and throughout the entire storm Timothy uses his body to protect Phillip. After the hurricane is finally over, Phillip is somewhat hurt but not as bad Timothy is, and  moments later he dies. Phillip is now alone on the island, blind and depressed about losing his friend, can he survive? 

The Cay is a beautiful and touching story of friendship and survival. The Cay is a really short book that took the author three weeks to write, and even though it can be considered a children’s book I think everyone should read it. The first time I read it I cried. The second time I read it I cried even more.  What I love most about this book is that other than it being a touching story that teaches us not to judge by appearances, it’s also an adventure story that keeps you on your toes wondering what will  happen next.  

My Rating: 4.5
                                                                                                       
                                                                                                ~A.BW