Tapio Koivukari

Iceland 1615 Tapio Koivukari

The year is 1615. The life of young apprentice Gartzia Aranburu takes a rapid new turn when he is hired on a whaling ship heading from the Basque country to the North Atlantic with his friend Agustin. On board he learns the ways of the ship and makes friends with the laundry boy Iñaki and harpooner Stobal. The ship arrives in Iceland and starts whaling together with two other ships. Gartzia and Agustin work hard to put together barrels for the precious whale oil. Gartzia also meets Kristrún, an Icelandic girl his own age, who makes his heart beat a little faster. But is all really well? Young captain Martin Villafranca is a brave whaler himself but not all the men are prepared to respect him as their captain, and then first mate Ramón seems to enjoy threatening the Icelandic farmers... After a succesful whaling season they are ready to sail back home, when a sudden storm changes everything and the Basque whalers are left facing the winter in a hostile country. This is a book for young readers, based on Icelandic accounts and poems and part of Basque maritime history.