Pirate's Passage [Paperback]

A thrillingly exhilarating adventure and glorious coming-of-age story, rich in both imagination and history, in perception and truth.  I couldn't put the book down. —Donald Sutherland

Nova Scotia, 1952. Not exactly the place you’d expect to run into pirates. But an old mariner, his boat driven ashore in a gale, brings with him enough stories about buccaneers and their lore to make it seem that he must have had firsthand experience of the pirate life. But how is that possible? Captain Charles Johnson’s uncanny knowledge of seamanship’s dark side fuels the imagination of the young boy he befriends, setting him on his own journey of mysterious adventure.Winner of the 2006 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature

A palimpsest upon Treasure Island, William Gilkerson's beguiling creation, Pirate's Passage, has everything: irresistible characters, richly textured history, humor, suspense, and adventure. Steeped in wit, philosophy, and mystical ambiguity, it takes a maverick approach to history. A challenging children's novel with a dangerous edge, Pirate's Passage is a work of genius. . . . This novel will be read by readers of all generations. —Canada Council for the Arts

Winner of the New York Library Association Book of the Season Award Spring 2006 in the Young Adult Book Category

Captivated, my imagination bound hand-and foot, I was shanghaied by Pirate's Passage. —Philip Kopper, The Washington Times

Beautifully paced, well-written, thoughtful, and clever. Gilkerson's familiarity with seamanship (he is the author of ten books on nautical matters) makes it especially enjoyable. —The London Times