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Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor — book cover

Timothy of the Cay

by Theodore Taylor
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Overview

In the novel The Cay, a young white boy and an old black man are stranded on a small sandy cay in the Caribbean Sea following a shipwreck. Eleven-year-old Phillip was blinded by flying debris when a torpedo struck the SS Hato, and old Timothy has taught him how to survive. This prequel-sequel tells the rest of their tale in alternating chapters—the compelling story of two very different people who share the courage and tenacity to turn their dreams into reality.

Includes a reader's guide.

Having survived being blinded and shipwrecked on a tiny Caribbean island with the old black man Timothy, twelve-year-old white Phillip is rescued and hopes to regain his sight with an operation. Alternate chapters follow the life of Timothy from his days as a young cabin boy.

Synopsis

In the novel The Cay, a young white boy and an old black man are stranded on a small sandy cay in the Caribbean Sea following a shipwreck. Eleven-year-old Phillip was blinded by flying debris when a torpedo struck the SS Hato, and old Timothy has taught him how to survive. This prequel-sequel tells the rest of their tale in alternating chapters--the compelling story of two very different people who share the courage and tenacity to turn their dreams into reality.
Includes a reader's guide.

About the Author, Theodore Taylor

THEODORE TAYLOR is the author of many award-winning middle grade and young adult novels, including Billy the Kid, The Maldonado Miracle, The Boy Who Could Fly Without a Motor, The Weirdo, and The Cay. He lives in Laguna Beach, California.

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Editorials

Sacramento Bee

Anyone who enjoyed The Cay will want to read the stunning prequel-sequel.

The ALAN Review - Margaret J. Ford

The Caribbean cadences of Timothy's "pidgin Engleesh" blend with Phillip Enright's sightless reminiscences in the prequel-sequel to Taylor's acclaimed The Cay. Taylor recreates Timothy's childhood on St. Thomas with his adopted aunt, Tante Hannah Gumb, and his life on the sea and juxtaposes the story with the life of Phillip Enright after he is rescued from the cay-thus a prequel-sequel. The two points of view are distinct yet appear to merge as Timothy's resolve and determination to one day own his own ship runs in counterpoint to Phillip's determination to regain his sight and see his cay once again, even though the surgery might leave him paralyzed or dead. Taylor weaves a compelling tale of prejudice, Caribbean slavery and seaport life, and the stresses of World War II. His characterization and mastery of Caribbean dialect create an unforgettable portrait of the determination of youth and the wisdom of age.

Children's Literature - Beth Shotwell-Valeo

Taylor's first novel for young readers, The Cay, is the story of a boy's life-threatening adventure at sea in 1942 after his freighter, the Hato, is torpedoed by a German submarine. In his quest for survival, the boy must overcome his racial and cultural prejudices, as well as a serious physical disability in this Robinson Crusoe setting. More than twenty years passed before Taylor produced the prequel-sequel, Timothy of the Cay. The two stories make for compelling reading, and the events, characters and setting are still very much of relevance today. After reading the first, the second expands on the adventure.

Book Details

Published
April 1, 2007
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages
176
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780152063207

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