The Life of a Ship

"The Life of a Ship from the Launch to the Wreck" by R. M. Ballantyne is an adventurous novel set in the Victorian era that follows a young boy's dreams of sailing. When a young boy named Davy gets his wish he witnesses the building of a ship, named the "Fair Nancy", becomes a boy-seaman, and then must endure the trials and tribulations of storms at sea, with the ultimate hardship of the ship tragically being destroyed on the shore. With very little hope, Davy and the rest of the crew must find a way to survive the elements, natives, and the fact that they are in the middle of nowhere on the hostile island. Davy and his crew must build a raft and hopefully sail to safety, becoming a brave young man after all that he has gone through, and eventually gets rescued and taken home.