Hawkes Harbor

Hawkes Harbor is S.E. Hinton's first adult book.

Jamie grew up in an orphanage. The nuns were less than encouraging about his future. After a stint in the Navy he decided he loved the sea but could do without all of the rules.

Told in flashbacks, Jamie's life twists and turns through a life at sea that includes smuggling precious gems, running guns, a close encounter with a shark, and a short trip to prison in a foreign country.

In the current setting Jamie is in a hospital. The vital man in the past has been reduced to a paranoid, frightened shell. His doctor tries to piece together what happened in a place called Hawkes Harbor that led to Jamie's current state.

This story has parts (the past) that are engaging and entertaining coupled with other parts (the present) that are confusing and odd. Eventually the truth is revealed and the past and present intersect.

Hinton, S.E. (2004). Hawkes Harbor. New York: Tor books.