A nonfiction adventure story is out of my usual comfort zone in reading, but this year seems to be all about changes and leaving that comfort zone as much as possible. I picked up this book for my brother a couple years ago, but was drawn to it myself recently and am so glad I gave it a shot.
In the spring of 1947, Heyerdahl and five others set out to sea on a simple balsa wood raft, aiming to sail from Peru to the Polynesian islands. This would prove his anthropological theory of the connection between the ancient ones of Peru and South America and the inhabitants of the thousands of south sea islands.
I'm a big anthropology and/or history buff, so I was intrigued by his theory and can see the similarities he was convinced were significant. And I admired the dedication he had to that thought that led him and five other brave and slightly crazy men to try to recreate that ancient mythical voyage that brought Peru's ancient leader/god Tiki and his people westward to Polynesia. Their roughly 100 days aboard the Kon Tiki were filled with a sense of wonder, adventure and plenty of the unexpected. Their encounters with then-unfamiliar sea creatures like the giant whale shark, the storms, the possibility of destruction and the proof of man's ingenuity were fascinating. I was captivated and will likely look to read more of Heyerdahl's writing on my next library visit.
A thoughtful, exciting account of high sea adventure, challenges and how no matter how many centuries pass, some things never change.
* * * * * Highest recommendation.
Laure
My art gallery; www.clay-dreams.deviantart.com
