This novel shows the indecisionand unpredictable side of youthcompared to the wisdom of maturity.Set in Asia in Victorian times, it is thestory of a young sailor who is unsureof what he wants to do with his life.He is offered the job of captain ona sailing ship, a great responsibility,which takes him on a journey full ofproblems and life-or-death decisions.He crosses the “shadow line”,the boundary between youth andmaturity, and realises that it is not agethat makes us more mature, but lifeexperiences.Stage 3 • 1000 headwordspp. 96 • B2 • Classic