Wide as the Wind - by Edward Stanton (Paperback)

About the Book

Wide as the Wind is the first novel to deal with the stunning, tragic history of Easter Island (Vaitéa). It could be described as quest fiction for all ages in the line of Tolkien's The Hobbit, but it is set in the real world, not Middle-earth. Wide as the Wind is both a stirring novel of discovery and a prophetic tale for our times.

Book Synopsis

Wide as the Wind is the winner of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Young Adult Fiction, the 2017 Silver Moonbeam Children's Book Award for Young Adult Fiction - Historical/Cultural, and the 2018 silver Feathered Quill Award for Teen Fiction. Wide as the Wind was also honored in the 2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards in Green Books/Environmental.

The story of a boy, a girl, their island, and how they saved it.

Wide as the Wind is the first novel to deal with the stunning, tragic history of Easter Island (Vaitéa). It could be described as quest fiction for all ages in the line of Tolkien's The Hobbit, but it is set in the real world, not Middle-earth. Wide as the Wind portrays Polynesian journeys across the Pacific Ocean in canoes with no metal parts or instruments: the greatest adventure in human prehistory, as bold as modern space voyages (National Geographic).

When Vaitéa is ravaged by war, hunger and destruction, it falls upon Miru, the fifteen-year-old son of a tribal warrior, to sail to a distant island to find the seeds and shoots of trees that could reforest their homeland. If he decides to undertake the voyage, he must leave behind Kenetéa, a young woman from an enemy tribe with whom he has fallen deeply in love. And if Miru and his crew survive the storms, sharks and marauding ships that await them on a passage over uncharted ocean, an even greater mission would lie ahead. They must show their people that devotion to the earth and sea can be as strong as war and hatred. Wide as the Wind is both a stirring novel of discovery and a prophetic tale for our times.

Review Quotes

Wide as the Wind has won the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award for young adult fiction (the largest not-for-profit book awards program in North America) as well as the 2017 Silver Moonbeam Children's Book Award for Young Adult Fiction - Historical/Cultural.

"Wide as the Wind transports us to an island world both outside time and urgently relevant to us in the 21st century. At the center of the story stands fifteen-year-old Miru, an extraordinary young man who is called upon to forsake passion, family, and security in a quest to restore his island so it might sustain his people again. This novel reminds us of what is important and what we might be called upon to set aside in order to make a world where we and our descendants can live and thrive." --Leatha Kendrick, author, Almanac of the Invisible "In the midst of a forbidden love, young Miru sails across dangerous Polynesian seas to find new seeds and trees for his island that has been ravaged by war. Wide as the Wind is a lyrically crafted novel of love and adventure as well as a cautionary tale for the survival of the earth and our human species. It now forms part of what has been called 'the environmental imagination.'" --Juan Carlos Galeano, poet and environmentalist "Wide as the Wind speaks to a fundamental truth: our need to protect the planet's environment." --John Flenley and Paul Bahn, authors of The Enigmas of Easter Island "Wide as the Wind takes place many years ago, yet it can speak to readers of all ages and backgrounds in a timeless way about the result of neglecting Earth's natural environment. . . . Wide as the Wind is vividly tragic and dramatically rich. It's a historical tale without feeling historical. Featuring themes of adventure, war, and a comparable Romeo and Juliet type romance, this novel is perfect for readers weary of history and anthropology but zealous for adventure and drama." --Gwendolyn, LitPick Reviews