In the late, rainy summer of 1889 in the Pacific Northwest's San Juan Islands, 13-year-old Clementine is out crabbing in her dory, Fisherbird, when she witnesses a crime: three smuggled Chinese men are tossed off a trading boat run by her uncle Doran and his partner, Ray Chung. In taking on the issue of late-19th-century prejudice against Chinese immigrants, Martin (A Perfect Snow) creates a well-paced story but strains credibility at several points. Clem manages to rescue one of the men, Tong-Ling, and hide him on a nearby island, thus beginning an adventure that also requires her to deal with the much-resented Sarah, an orphan temporarily staying with Clem's family. Fair-haired and feminine and in every way Clem's antithesis, Sarah is also the love interest of Clem's now tainted uncle. A lengthy ocean chase ensues during which Clem discovers another side of Sarah and falls for her helpful neighbor, Jed. Much of the writing is fluid, but the story's predictability and the imposition of modern sensibilities on the young protagonists (e.g., "We all came from some other place. Everyone except the Indians… who were here first") detract from its overall impact. Ages 9-up. (May)
