Book Review: The Island Queen

Two brothers and their sister had survived a shipwreck in the 1800's. They, and the other survivors from the ship had been adrift for days in the south seas. Most of the passengers in the little boat had already died when the story opened. And it wasn't long before all that remained were these three siblings. The oldest, a 20 year old young man was named Dominick. Along with his sister, Pauline, and the youngest, a boy named Otto, the trio had been on a voyage to see their father, a merchant and shipowner working in Java. They had left their dear mother in England. 

At the very end of their physical endurance when all hope of survival had vanished, they were cast onto an deserted island. Overjoyed at their miraculous deliverance, they gave thanks to God for His protection. After exploring their surroundings for several days, their efforts were rewarded with shelter and a meager supply of food. Firmly trusting in God, they were committed to making the best of their situation:

"Come, sister, you shall read the Word of God from memory, and I will pray every morning and evening as long as we shall dwell here together." 

Things changed dramatically for them one night when they heard the wailing of another human voice. A ship had been driven onto the coral reef surrounding the island. The 300 passengers were able to land safely after the storm that had driven them ashore subsided. The ship, however, was stuck fast on the reef. 

Suddenly, our original three occupants of the island had a whole community to enjoy. But once ashore and with no established authority, the more unsavory members of the crowd threatened to produce anarchy. To head off a full blown crisis, it was decided that there needed to be a form of government set up to establish order. The solution they chose is a unique one and gives the book its title. 

Things seemed to be settling into a routine of a regular colony. That is, until the hostile natives showed up. Oh, and then there was the earthquake. And subsequent awakening of a volcano on their little island paradise. Things seemed to be, once again, hopeless. Only a miracle could save them. And that is exactly what happened. Again. 


Yes, it is a little contrived, but so innocent and pure, it was still enjoyable.

R. M. Ballantyne, the author, was a prolific writer of historical fiction. Born in 1825, his 80+ titles are filled with adventure and reflect deep Christian values. I had read another of his books, The Dog Crusoe, to the kids as part of our school time, and we really enjoyed it. 

This review is part of the 52 in 52 challenge and is #14 for me this year. This time of year is always filled with lots of extras, so spare time to read has been rare. So it was fun to just buzz through this one.