A Boat to Nowhere (Signet Books) [Paperback]

Maureen Crane Wartski (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet Books | Publication Date: March 1, 1981

In their isolated village in Vietnam, Mai and her family thought themselves safe from war. But when the conquerors arrived and brought an end to peace, a dangerous escape aboard a fishing boat would become their last chance for survival.

"A moving story." (Publishers Weekly)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Signet (March 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451162854
• ISBN-13: 978-0451162854
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,844,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm Maureen Wartski, writer, artist, wife, mother, grandmother; you can see that I have many of the bases covered.

I was born in Ashiya, Japan, a (then) small town which lay cradled between sea and mountains. In the evenings, we would walk along the road that ran past Osaka Bay, and a great moon would rise out of the water to turn the world to silver. I'm told that my first words were, "Big moon!"

All my life I have felt the tug to write something, draw something, put together something with fabric, string and color, and the urge to create has grown through the years.

Yuri's Brush with Magic, my new book for middle schoolers follows the adventures of a brother and sister, the magic of words, and the incredible magic of the natural world. I'd love to hear from you!

You can send me a note at: [e-mail]/ My blog is here: http://maureenwartski.wordpress.com/ Or friend me on Facebook!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Boat to Nowhere, May 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Boat to Nowhere (Signet Books) (Paperback)

I teach a 7th grade English/Geography block class. A Boat to Nowhere was adopted by the English department before I arrived. In some ways it was a good choice. Wartski does a wonderful job with setting. She really paints a picture of the jungle of Vietnam and the isolated and tiny utopian village that Mai, the young protagonist, lives in with her grandfather and brother.

When Kien, the "monster" Mai and her brother Loc hear in the woods arrives, their peaceful way of life is over. Kien, an orphan from the war, brings news that the government will soon find this remote paradise and set up new rules. He is right, and when the govenment officials do arrive, it is Kien, surprisingly, who is able to help Mai, Loc and their grandfather, if he is willing.

Most of my students enjoyed reading this novel, so I would certainly recommend it. While studying Southeast Asia, we also read The Clay Marble (set in Cambodia) by Minfong Ho. Both were good novels; however, the characters in The Clay Marble seemed more fully developed.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Plot/Character Development?, June 19, 2000

By 

koba22 "koba22" (Meadow Vista, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Boat to Nowhere (Signet Books) (Paperback)

Overall, my students did not feel that this book really met their needs as readers. They struggled with relating to characters that were developed minimally. For example, Mai seems to jump back and forth between loving and hating Kien due to small actions on Kien's part. She forgives him quickly and returns to despising him pages later. There seems to be no feasible reason for this switching besides the contrived plot. Speaking of the plot, my students found it extremely predictable and a little sappy at the end. Overall, not a bad book for lower level readers, but do not expect to be thrilled by this story.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Boat To Nowhere: It's Great!, May 11, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Boat to Nowhere (Signet Books) (Paperback)

I am 9 years old and I really loved this Vietnamese story. It paints a lot of pictures in my mind. It has a lot of exciting parts but no like Harry Potter where there's only one suspensful part...this book has it throughout the whole story. I felt like I was in the jungle and out at sea. I think this book is actually better for kids 9 and up. I also thought it was easy to read.