Call It Courage Book Review:
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The book I read was called Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. This book is about a boy
named Mafatu, who is afraid of the ocean. This story takes place in an island called Hikueru Island,
which is located in the French Polynesia. This story is set way back in history, when tribes roamed
in the islands, before the traders and commissioners ever set foot into the South Seas. In Hikueru
Island lived a Polynesian tribe which worshiped courage. The men there had no fear, courage ran in
their blood and through their veins. However, there was one needle in this haystack of fearless
people. His name was Mafatu and he was Tavanna Nui, the Great Chief of Hikueru’s son. Ever since
he had nearly died as a baby and lost his mother while they were canoeing, he has always been
afraid of the great ocean. However, his fear brought him humiliation as men in their tribe were
supposed to be the leaders, going into the great waters to fish and fight with neighboring tribes.
He was an outcast. Even his own father had no respect for him. What was such a fretful boy doing
in this great land of warriors? One day, Mafatu had enough. He decided to show to the rest of the
tribe that he wasn’t just a useless boy. So, he set off with his dog Uri and his albatross Kivi, which
guided his way in the air. As he gets stranded on the island where the Eaters of Man burned human
sacrifice. Now, he has to overcome his fears in order to save his reputation and his life.
The main characters in this book are Mafatu, Uri, and Kivi. Throughout the book, the theme
of courage was very relevant. Through this book, you’re able to see how courage can lead to great
success. With courage, nothing is impossible. Cowardice stops us from achieving our full potential.
When we overcome our fears, we are able to achieve our goals. In this story, because Mafatu
overcame his fears of the ocean and the creatures that lay in it, he was able to gain great glory. In
order to gain his reputation back, he had to overcome his fears. Even though at first he thought he
would have never been able to overcome his fear of the ocean, in the end, he was able to conquer
this challenge.