Reviews: (by author)

Mourlevat, Jean-Claud. The Pull of the Ocean. Trans. Y. Maudet. New York: Delacorte, 1999. ISBN 0-385-73348-8. $13.95 U.S./ $18.95 CAN. Ages 12 and up. www.randomhouse.com

Winner of the Prix Sorcieres (French award for the best in children’s and YA literature)

The Pull of the Ocean, L’enfant Ocean in French, by Jean-Claud Mourlevat, is a lot like the central character: small and thoughtful. This story is based on the fairy tale “Little Tom Thumb” by Charles Perrault. If you’re not familiar with the story or have never read it, don’t let that stop you from reading Mourlevat’s novel. You don’t need to know anything about the fairy tale to enjoy or understand it.

The central character is Yann Doutreleau, a mute two-foot-tall little boy. He and his six brothers (three sets of twins) live on a farm with their surly, unloving, abusive parents. One night he awakens his brothers, communicating that they must leave their home immediately because their lives are in danger. Without question the brothers get dressed to follow their beloved Yann on a journey to the ocean.

The book is very much a psychological novel. Each chapter is told in first person by a different character—someone who sees the youngsters traveling, someone they encounter or one of the brothers themselves. It’s fascinating to read different perspectives on the same events.

On the other hand, the plethora of characters may be unappealing to some readers. Because we’re given so many viewpoints, we don’t necessarily get to bond with a single character. In addition, the only chapter from Yann’s point of view is at the end, and it is rather short, which leaves unanswered questions. Why is he mute? What was he thinking during the journey with his brothers? How does he feel about his unloving parents and about his life at the farm? Readers have to be detectives, piecing things together from others’ accounts of his behavior. In other words, Mourlevat makes readers work. With so much detail missing, a reader could become easily frustrated with this novel.

But it is such a beautiful, moving and haunting story. The love the brothers have for each other never wavers. The novel poses the question, how much are we willing to risk for those we love? And the book raises other questions about social responsibility and human connection. Does every person have a responsibility to help children in need, whether they belong to us or not? Should we help each other for no other reason than we’re human?

The Pull of the Ocean is not a pleasant read; it’s actually disturbing to read about the hardships, both physical and emotional, that these boys face as they walk day and night, through rain and mud, with no money, no food, and no other clothes than what they are wearing, at the mercy of others’ kindness or cruelty. All the brothers have is each other. Their story haunts you and keeps you thinking about it long after you’ve put it away.

Marie Soriano, June 2007

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