Gone to Drift

November 1, 2017

Gr 5-8-In a small fishing town in Jamaica, Lloyd's grandfather Conrad is presumably lost at sea after embarking on a fishing expedition. While most of those in town make little effort to search for him, Lloyd refuses to give up hope. With the help of his friend Dwight and a young woman named Jules who is studying dolphins in the area, Lloyd unravels the mystery surrounding his grandfather's disappearance. McCaulay, a Jamaican native, provides readers with a glimpse of life in Jamaica and brings awareness to the global threats facing marine life, particularly dolphins, which are often the target of illegal smuggling. The narrative alternates between third-person perspective following Lloyd's search for his grandfather, and first-person narration from Conrad, who reminisces about his childhood as he struggles to survive for days stranded at sea. Conrad's story line parallels his grandson's, as in his youth he searched for his brother Luke, who similarly had been presumed to be lost at sea. McCaulay's prose is lyrical, especially the portions narrated by Conrad, and is never didactic in its handling of environmental issues. Although Lloyd finds his grandfather in the end, there is not a neat and happy conclusion, as Lloyd discovers some unpleasant truths about his parents. VERDICT A solemn adventure about resolve, loyalty, and family, that gives readers insight into life in a small fishing community and brings to light the dangers marine life face in the wild.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
A Jamaican boy and his family are caught on the cusp of change.Lloyd Saunders, a young brown-skinned Jamaican boy, keeps counting the days until his fisherman grandfather, Maas Conrad, returns from Pedro Bank. His father occasionally comes around with a few dollar bills, fists, and the smell of rum. His mother sells Conrad's catch to the well-to-do by the nearby Liguanea supermarket and has no time to worry about the old man. Only Conrad talks to Lloyd and teaches him about the sea, life, and times gone by. As each day passes he wonders what has happened to the old fisherman. Determined to find his grandfather, Lloyd sets out asking around Kingston, enlisting his buddy Dwight to help solve the mystery. Although Lloyd has faith, each day erodes the belief of everyone around him. When he learns that his grandfather may have been involved in dolphin hunting, Lloyd realizes sinister forces threaten Conrad and his family. The characters' lilting patois guides readers into a changing Jamaica rich with lessons bobbing just below the surface. The quiet, deliberate third-person narration is interspersed with the thoughts of Conrad, whose personal history of Jamaica gently anticipates Lloyd's journey. The relationships between boy and elder, man and sea, crime and poverty all lift McCaulay's first children's novel into a different league.A boy's home is a place in the heart of one whose heart makes a place for him. Beautiful. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2018
Grades 4-7 Twelve-year-old Lloyd Saunders, who lives with his mother near Kingston, Jamaica, worries that his grandfather has gone to drift when he doesn't return from a fishing trip. No one seems interested in searching, so Lloyd investigates on his own, stowing away on a coast guard ship and interviewing some of Gramps' friends. As he zeroes in on where Gramps may have gone, Lloyd also learns about the fishing industry's secrets: consistently poor catches sometimes drive desperate, hungry men to capture dolphins, a lucrative but illegal trade. Told in parallel narratives by Lloyd and Gramps, this tale draws readers in as McCaulay gradually reveals what drove Gramps to the dangerous Pedro Bank on that fateful day. While the Jamaican patois might initally take some getting used to, it quickly becomes routine and adds to the book's authenticity. This makes a good choice for adventure fans, the eco-conscious, and those hoping to understand the economic hardships faced by those who make their living from the sea.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)