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Kay Crabbe’s tale of the historical exploitation of the Torres Strait and Pacific Islanders - as the pearl-shell industry burgeoned in the late 1800s - is given a human face in the struggles of her protagonist, Sario. Whilst Sario has the wisdom to appreciate his culture and a deep desire to maintain it, he also has the curiosity that beckons him to experience deep-sea diving, despite his resentment towards the owners of the pearl luggers who were willing to exploit the vulnerability of his people. Although Sario’s path to manhood alone could have carried the reader along on this journey, Crabbe’s extensive research provides a captivating historical dimension that could otherwise have been overlooked, or ignored, in our Australian history. Moreover, the daily lives, the social structures, values and thinking of the islander peoples are opened up to the reader along with a smattering of their language, all helping the reader to step into their shoes and see things from their perspective. Everything is seen through Sario’s eyes, even though the book is written in the third person. His thoughts and character are transparent as he observes the impact of “the ghost man” on his people and realises that it is only a matter of time before he will be dragged away from his father’s stories, his mother’s singing and his cousins’ playful trickery to serve the white men – “men who force small children to dive for shell, then pay them with sweets and keep the money for themselves.” When Sario’s father is taken to dive in his place by the white trader, “Sario’s belly squirms like a drum full of eels.” From this moment, Sario is driven to restore his father to his rightful place at the head of his clan and to shoulder his burden of responsibility in earning enough to provide the medicine his mother needs after a lifetime of diving. So begins Sario’s journey into the white man’s world in search of a cure for his mother and a living to support his people. He could not have anticipated the compromises and the courage he would need to succeed in a world where he is dispensable and the white man is king. This is a world in which “coloureds don’t get a vote.” Even Hiroshi, his greatest rival for supremacy as a pump diver, is in a better position than Sario because “Britain is an ally of Japan” and Hiroshi is likely to be favoured despite “the White Australia rule.” Whilst the reader is absorbed in the personal challenges Sario faces, the overlay of historical events and policies that challenge the new colony of Australia and impact Sario’s life, and the life of his people, enable young readers to grasp a stronger understanding of Australia’s journey to nationhood. Crabbe’s book is multifaceted. It is culturally instructive, historically critical, yet also hopeful in the reconciliatory conclusion that sees arch enemies of different cultures working to build a future together in a new nation. Best of all, her protagonist is not perfect, but his imperfections and his sincerity bind us to him so strongly that we willingly enter the deep seas of his life and walk the sea floor with him without wanting to come up for air because we know this is a character from whom we can learn about our humanity.

Julie Wright

Secondary School English Teacher

Adelaide. South Australia