THE HAMMERHEAD LIGHT

by Colin Thiele ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 13, 1977

Thiele returns to a fishing village in Southern Australia, where this time the locals of Snapper Bay are threatened not by an oil rig (Fight Against Albatross Two, 1976), but by the Marine and Harbor Department, which wants to blow up their beloved Hammerhead Light. Twelve-year-old Tessa Noble and ancient ""Uncle"" Axel work together to save the lighthouse, in the process rescuing and caring for a whimbrel when the sea bird loses a leg, and resurrecting the lighthouse to guide Tessa's parents out of a storm and into harbor. For all their effort, the Hammerhead Light collapses anyway, as Axel falls into the ruin of old age. If the plot moves predictably, it moves smoothly, and the unsentimental look at aging, along with Tessa's gradual change from the role of ward to guardian in her relationship with the old man, adds ballast.

Pub Date: April 13, 1977

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1977

Categories: FICTION