MORE REVIEWS AFTER THIS EXTRACT FROM CHAPTER 1:

We climbed the little shoulder of ground that was between the strand and the rocky shore beyond. Now we kept closer down by the rocks, to get a better view of the ship. We stared at her in the gloom, trying to read her name, but we could not make it out. This was why we were almost upon the man before we saw him.
He was crawling like a crab among the great black boulders. But for the storm he would have been above the high-water mark, but with that heavy sea and with the thundering wind, the waves were running almost up to the grass, in and out between the boulders. One moment he was high and dry, and the next moment the sea was flowing over him, knocking him flat, rolling him along, battering him nearly senseless. Each time this happened he heaved himself up on his elbows and crawled another piece, more slowly, until the sea came up again.
We said no word to each other, but went bounding down to him, skipping from rock to rock when we could, wading waist-high in water when we had to go between the rocks. Saving our breath, we seized him under the arms, and began to drag him towards the shore. He gave a single, terrible cry of pain, and then he must have fainted, for we heard no more from him while we got him up on to the grass, out of reach of that wicked; cruel sea.
Though he was a thin man, it had given us all we could do to beach him. We were panting for breath, but there was no time to waste. We turned him over and began to press his ribs to get the water out of him and to get the air into him. We were experts at this, because Big John had shown us how to do it. The man revived after a while, and looked quickly from one of us to the other. There was no moment of wondering where he was or what had happened. He had a thin, sharp face, like a seagull, and bright brown eyes.

MORE REVIEWS:

"If you think of it, some of the best of the books that have survived as children's classics were not written with children in mind at all. Look at Gulliver's Travels, and Robinson Crusoe and Uncle Tom's Cabin. All could be and were read by adults. Eilís Dillon is like that ... an excellent, exciting, witty and well-written book." (Seán J. White, Radio Éireann)
"Eilís Dillon's 'The Coriander' will find its place with books like 'Treasure Island' on the list of classics. It begins as all good stories do. 'No one on our island will ever forget the wreck of the Coriander.' We are right into the adventure which ranges through kidnappings, sheep-stealing, ghostly mysteries and island feuds ... The plot - which is well worked out and well told - is not the most important element in the book. Eilís Dillon has enriched it with credible though colourful characters, with humour and has created an atmosphere which we accept as having authentic flavour of island life. The book will be enjoyed by young people, even those in their late teens." (Maev Conway, Irish Press)
"In many of Eilís Dillon's tales, a boy stands in the forefront of the action and seems to grow in experience before our eyes. She has never let this become a mechanical story-telling device. She is genuinely interested in character, as she is in the ever-changing Irish seascape she describes so brilliantly. This is a fine book from a very fine writer. (Marjorie Fisher, Growing Point)

"The attitudes and viewpoints of the islanders, often at variance with the law, and the subtle distinctions between right and wrong add fascinating complexities to the plot and show the author's remarkable understanding of the people. The unusual overtones, the convincing atmosphere, and the superb storytelling make this the most exciting of all Miss Dillon's Books." (The Horn Book Magazine)
"There is plenty of action, excitement, mystery and intrigue, and pervading the whole story is the magic of Ireland, which the author evokes skilfully and hauntingly. Strongly recommended." (Robert Bell, The School Librarian)
"An original, all-of-a-piece picture of an enclosed community in which two teenage boys have a real part to play. (Gillian Tindall, The Observer)
"Funny, tender, enchanting. I can still feel the Atlantic spray." (Chichester Observer)
"This is the true stuff: the sea, the peat, the stone, the frightful gales,, the currachs, the hard life, the elemental simplicity and cunning." (The Guardian)
"The people and the island are beautifully depicted; Eilís Dillon never strikes a false note, she can handle the darker and the lighter moment with equal felicity, and her plot moves with dexterous ease." (Times Literary Supplement)
"This is a fine story, beautifully written, excitingly and humorously told: it takes the reader into the lives of the islanders with their generosity, loyalty and scorn for such urban institutions as law, policemen and taxes." (British Book News)
"I liked this fresh book very much." (William Mayne, New Statesman)
"A beautifully written story about a tiny island off the west coast of Ireland that combines a fine Irish humour with an underlying seriousness ... It is a book to be highly recommended for maturer readers of any age." (The Tablet)
"The Coriander by Eilís Dillon has a plot both ingenious and new, and carries off its implausibilities with a conviction resembling Stevenson's." (Naomi Lewis, The Listener)
"The story is full of terrific adventures and some most lovable characters ... exciting, humorous and most beautifully written." (Labour Woman)