Poon Lim was Second Steward on the s.s. Benlomond sunk in the South Atlantic on 23 November 23 1942. He was the sole survivor and suffered a record 133 days on a raft before rescue by Brazilian fisher-men. This is a fictional (and fanciful) recreation of this feat of endur-ance. ( )

During WWII, Poon Lim (Chinese) was cast adrift for 133 days alone on a raft in the Atlantic ocean. He survived on raw fish and rainwater and was even able to catch a few sea birds with his bare hands (snuck up on them as night when they were resting). His tools were a fish-hook, knife and a tarp. He also had some sugar, critical carbohydrate energy which balanced the pure protein diet and kept him from starving. This account is a simple retelling, suitable for younger readers who also like Robinson Crusoe, but nonetheless vivid and probably the most authoritative modern account of this famous incident. For many years Lim held the record for the longest time spent at sea on a raft, the US Navy used his experience to inform their survival programs.

It's an unusual ocean survival story since it deals with a Chinese peasant farmer who knew nothing about the sea. Lim initially comes across as a childish Oriental coolie who couldn't open a can without being told what to do. He transforms and grows through the challenges of the journey, from the cabin boy to self-sufficient survivor. Lim is a bit of a bumbling Mr. Magoo, dropping critical things in the ocean and being ignored by passing ships as not worth picking up, but otherwise he has uncanny luck and resourcefulness.

This was an interesting book and well written. However, 133 days marooned alone at sea on a raft is bound to be tedious. I think this would have made a great Reader's Digest feature. A 247 page book, not so much. ( )

8.5