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GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. – “Voyages of Malolo: Secret of the Rongo” (ISBN 0615531296), a historical novel by Robert Bonville, tells the story of Polynesian navigators and their journey across the Pacific on the great seagoing canoe “Malolo”.
When young Auka’i discovers a piece of driftwood from the east containing mysterious hieroglyphics, the “Rongo”, he and his people believe it is a message from the gods directing them to discover its meaning and the secret it contains. The young adventurer and his crew of uniquely skilled men build a large, double-hulled deep sea sailing canoe and sail east across the Pacific to the coast of Ecuador, more than 8,000 kilometers (5000 miles) from their island home. Their nearly 3-year voyage of exploration, which ranges up to Mexico and California before heading west to Hawaii, finds them facing many hardships and dangers before returning for a final surprising conflict at home.
“The tale is fiction, but it is based on archaeological and anthropological evidence and widely accepted theory,” says Bonville. “It is an epic adventure that speaks to the will of ancient man to discover, learn and survive in the face of the harshest of conditions.”
Bonville was inspired to write the story of the Malolo’s journey by his time living in Hawaii as a young man and his travels throughout the Pacific, as well as surprising historical evidence of the far-reaching travels of the ancient Polynesians. Written to engage and entertain as well as educate, the book is intended to appeal to readers that enjoy a good fact-based historical adventure.
“Voyages of Malolo: Secret of the Rongo” is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
About the Author
Robert Bonville is a native of South Florida, lived some time in Hawaii as a young man, and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. He served as a radioman on deep sea weather cutters, Antarctic ice-breaking expeditions and serviced coastal navigation devices before attending college on the GI Bill. Upon graduation, Bonville worked in aerospace and defense-related projects associated with quality assurance, engineering and management, retiring after 37 years. Robert is married with four adult children and resides in Arizona with his wife, Linda.