Captains Courageous

"Captains Courageous: A Story of the Grand Banks" is a novel written by Rudyard Kipling in 1897. It tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Harvey Cheyne Jr., who is the son of a very wealthy railroad owner. Harvey is a bit spoiled and used to getting everything he wants. One day, he falls into the ocean and almost drowns, but he is saved by an American fishing boat working on the Grand Banks in the North Atlantic.

Because Harvey was saved by these fishermen, they decide he must work with them to earn his keep. This changes Harvey’s life, as he learns many important lessons about hard work, respect, and what it means to be a true hero. The book was first published as a series of stories in a magazine called McClure's starting in 1896, and then as a full novel in 1897 in both the United States by Doubleday and in the United Kingdom by Macmillan.

The title of the book comes from an old ballad called "Mary Ambree", which begins with the words, “Then captains courageous, whom death could not daunt.” Even Teddy Roosevelt, the future president of the United States, praised the book for showing what a young boy should aim to be and do. This novel is special because it is the only one by Kipling that is set entirely in North America.

Plot

Harvey Cheyne Jr. is the spoiled son of a wealthy railroad magnate from California. He falls off a big steamship and is saved by the crew of a fishing schooner called We're Here near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Harvey tries to convince the crew to take him to shore quickly and tell them about his wealth, but they do not believe him. The captain, Disko Troop, discovers Harvey’s wallet was still on the ship and makes Harvey work as a cabin boy to earn his keep.

With the help of the captain’s son, Dan, Harvey learns to live like the crew and becomes skilled at tasks such as keeping track of the ship’s catch. The story includes exciting tales of fishing and sailing. When the We're Here returns to port, Harvey’s parents come to Boston, Massachusetts, and then to the fishing town of Gloucester to bring him home. They are surprised by how mature he has become. Harvey’s father rewards the crew member who saved him and hires Dan to work on his fancy tea clipper ships. Harvey then goes to Stanford to get ready to help run his father’s shipping business.