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Climbing the Coconut Tree
Inspired by true events, this is a story about eighteen-year-old Bluey Guthrie who, in 1948 leaves his family to take the job of a lifetime on a remote island in the Central Pacific. Bill and Isobel, seasoned ex-pats help Bluey fit in to a privileged world of parties, dances and sport.
However, the underbelly of island life soon draws him in. Bluey struggles to understand the horrors left behind after the Japanese occupation, the rising fear of communism, and the appalling conditions of the Native and Chinese workers. All this is overseen by the white Colonial power brutalising the land for Phosphate: the new gold.
Isobel has her own demons and watches as Bill battles to keep growing unrest at bay. Drinking and gambling are rife. As racial tensions spill over causing a trail of violence, bloodshed and murder, Bluey is forced to face the most difficult choices of his life.
However, the underbelly of island life soon draws him in. Bluey struggles to understand the horrors left behind after the Japanese occupation, the rising fear of communism, and the appalling conditions of the Native and Chinese workers. All this is overseen by the white Colonial power brutalising the land for Phosphate: the new gold.
Isobel has her own demons and watches as Bill battles to keep growing unrest at bay. Drinking and gambling are rife. As racial tensions spill over causing a trail of violence, bloodshed and murder, Bluey is forced to face the most difficult choices of his life.
308 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 9, 2020
A majority of my reading comes from the mystery, thriller, and historical fiction genres. Occasionally, I step outside these realms to sample new authors or topics. Climbing the Coconut Tree is one of those occasions where it's not the typical read for me, but it absolutely has elements of mystery and focuses on a specific historical period. I saw the author's book reviews and interaction via blogs, social media apps, and websites and decided to give something new a chance. I'm glad I did!
The novel is based on real-life events from ~75 years ago in the Pacific Ocean when cultures were clashing and emerging in a world very far from my own. The author, and many characters in the book, are Australian. An island's population has been drastically impacted by the various wars and visitors over the years, but in particular in recent periods. The story chronicles the life of several who try to protect what they can, balancing the true purpose of non-natives being on the island against those who want to take back what is theirs and others who were made promises about a better life. Tragedy ensues, and readers are left quite curious to learn more about what really happened so many years ago between the Chinese, Japanese, natives, and other visitors.
When I began the book, the most apparent thing to me was how well the author assembles descriptions of either people or settings. Much of the first portion has minimal plot, so we focus on what a few key people think about the island and what's happening in the world around them. We get to know the mindset of the characters and create a vivid picture in our minds of the location we probably have not ever seen, nor might not ever see. By midway, the plot evolves slowly until we see the growing tension among the various classes and populations. Karakaltsas weaves a light but powerful level of drama within the words she chooses to tell the story. By three quarters of the way through, the mystery elements kicked in and I found myself intrigued to learn what really happened on the island. I won't say anymore, so that I don't spoil any plot lines.
I'm glad I went in to this one knowing nothing about the history of the place. It might've ruined the story for me if I already knew the outcome. It's sparked some interest in the reality of the situation, so kudos to the author for inspiring readers to want to learn more about the events. I look forward to seeing more from this writer, as she has a strong handle on turning real-life events into tales that entertain and awaken her readers.
The novel is based on real-life events from ~75 years ago in the Pacific Ocean when cultures were clashing and emerging in a world very far from my own. The author, and many characters in the book, are Australian. An island's population has been drastically impacted by the various wars and visitors over the years, but in particular in recent periods. The story chronicles the life of several who try to protect what they can, balancing the true purpose of non-natives being on the island against those who want to take back what is theirs and others who were made promises about a better life. Tragedy ensues, and readers are left quite curious to learn more about what really happened so many years ago between the Chinese, Japanese, natives, and other visitors.
When I began the book, the most apparent thing to me was how well the author assembles descriptions of either people or settings. Much of the first portion has minimal plot, so we focus on what a few key people think about the island and what's happening in the world around them. We get to know the mindset of the characters and create a vivid picture in our minds of the location we probably have not ever seen, nor might not ever see. By midway, the plot evolves slowly until we see the growing tension among the various classes and populations. Karakaltsas weaves a light but powerful level of drama within the words she chooses to tell the story. By three quarters of the way through, the mystery elements kicked in and I found myself intrigued to learn what really happened on the island. I won't say anymore, so that I don't spoil any plot lines.
I'm glad I went in to this one knowing nothing about the history of the place. It might've ruined the story for me if I already knew the outcome. It's sparked some interest in the reality of the situation, so kudos to the author for inspiring readers to want to learn more about the events. I look forward to seeing more from this writer, as she has a strong handle on turning real-life events into tales that entertain and awaken her readers.
January 16, 2018
A fascinating exploration of an era and a part of Australian history I hadn't heard about before - the novel is clearly well researched, capturing the unique aspects of what appeared to be a very different way of life. The racial undertones, the class tensions, and the layered political context all woven into a tense murder mystery worked a treat. Highly recommended!
April 13, 2016
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. The characters were well developed and I warmed to Bluey and Isobel. I was engrossed by the colonial lifestyle of the era and was fascinated to learn that it was based on true events. I also learnt a lot about a forgotten island which has undergone so much change. A really good read and highly recommended.
July 23, 2017
Bluey, a young naive man is thrown into another world of alcohol and violence. His eyes are opened wide to the way other racial groups are treated and his world is tossed upside down by a vicious double murder. A gripping read to the end, this story also gave me a picture of Australia's past on the other side of colonialism.
February 26, 2017
Fascinating story about troubled times on this little known pacific island. Characters were beautifully drawn, and the imagery pulled you right into the scene. A window into a different time.
October 21, 2017
The atmosphere is gripping and the 'feel' for the island real. I'll look for more by this author.
September 14, 2016
I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveway. The story idea was one that had great potential. However the characters could have been developed more and tension needed to be heightened. More time needed to be spent on developing the main event of the murders.
December 28, 2019
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaway for an honest review.
This is an interesting story that I hadn't heard about living on the other end of the world from Australia. The history of Ocean Island is an eye opening one and reminds us of the environmental and political climate that was in the 1940's and also what we can easily face today. A few unexpected turns along the way makes for a great book. I love true stories and history so it was right up my alley. I would for sure recommend this book.
This is an interesting story that I hadn't heard about living on the other end of the world from Australia. The history of Ocean Island is an eye opening one and reminds us of the environmental and political climate that was in the 1940's and also what we can easily face today. A few unexpected turns along the way makes for a great book. I love true stories and history so it was right up my alley. I would for sure recommend this book.
December 15, 2017
I would have liked to see the characters better developed, and a better build up to the murders.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews