Angeliki and the Shipwreck

Ageliki is a sensitive, perceptive fourteen-year-old who, in her mother's words, is afraid of wind and storms even on a sunny day. When her father receives a work promotion that requires relocating to Rome, the whole family finds themselves aboard a ship crowded with shackled prisoners and a captain more interested in cargo than caution, sailing during the most dangerous time of year on the Mediterranean.

Already unhappy about leaving home, Angeliki is frightened by the risk of sailing so late in the season, when storms make the crossing treacherous. The captain presses on anyway, ignoring every warning. But one prisoner catches her attention: a battered, soft-spoken man named Paul who carries himself like someone who has nothing to fear. He is educated, articulate, a fellow Roman citizen, and completely unafraid. That puzzles her more than anything else about the voyage.

She can't stop wondering: What gives Paul such calm in the face of chains and catastrophe? Why does his companion Luke carefully document every detail of the journey on parchment scrolls? And why does Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner and experienced sailor, offer his help to the struggling crew and join Paul and Luke in prayer and worship songs?

The more time Angeliki spends with them, the more she suspects they are right about the danger ahead. But unlike her, they aren't afraid for themselves. Their only concern is for others on the ship. Paul's words stay with her: My God will take care of me in any circumstance. If only she could believe that too.

Written at a fourth to sixth grade reading level but rich in emotional depth and mature themes, this book is an ideal choice for reluctant or struggling readers in grades 7–11 who find longer or more complex books frustrating.