TWO ON AN ISLAND

In Shoes in September (1964) this author used an island background to bring into focus a distorted family relationship. In this book a tiny, deserted Maine island serves to bring out the elements involved in the ever-familiar problem of sibling rivalry. 12-year-old Jeff Pennell and his 9-year-old sister Trudy find themselves stranded with a minimum of food and shelter and with no hope of being recovered for at least three more days. The marooned life is shown in plausible and practical terms -- miserable and messy. There is none of the exaggerated excitement, suffering heroism, or Robinson Crusoe resourcefulness typical of so many stories of this genre. The importance of the island is that it serves as a meeting ground for the brother and sister who had always been at variance. Jeff and Trudy come to realize their dependence and affection for one another in a very natural and realistic way. The change comes about rather too suddenly and glides over Jeff's other apparent personality problems. Nevertheless, the essential features of the problem have been well represented through the two main characters.