01 Jack The Castaway

Jack's parents have been chased out of Tokyo, gone broke in Greece, and hosted Nairobi's least successful safari. Next they?re taking Jack on a Caribbean vacation?whether Jack wants to go or not. The Berensons are about to start a snorkeling business. It's their latest get-rich-quick scheme. With these experienced world travelers at the helm, what could go wrong? Jack's used to staying indoors and not taking chances. When his parents take him out on the water, he ends up shipwrecked. Now Jack has to survive on a tropical island…and avoid a whale shark that's swimming near the beach.

Jack's parents have been chased out of Tokyo, gone broke in Greece, and hosted Nairobi's least successful safari. Next they’re taking Jack on a Caribbean vacation—whether Jack wants to go or not. The Berensons are about to start a snorkeling business. It's their latest get-rich-quick scheme. With these experienced world travelers at the helm, what could go wrong? Jack's used to staying indoors and not taking chances. When his parents take him out on the water, he ends up shipwrecked. Now Jack has to survive on a tropical island?and avoid a whale shark that's swimming near the beach.

Upon the death of his Aunt Julia, twelve-year-old Jack is whisked by his scheming and dreaming parents from Pennsylvania to a small Caribbean island, Compano, and soon finds himself alone on a deserted island.

After a wild plan by his parents left Jack stranded in the Caribbean, the Berenson family decided to lay out some rules. Jack's mom and dad agreed they wouldn't take so many risks. Jack agreed he'd try to live life without worrying quite so much. Then Jack's parents thought up another get-rich-quick scheme. Now the family's driving around Kenya. An animal attack is about to send Jack up a tree_alone, with limited supplies. As Jack attempts to outsmart a ferocious honey badger and keep away from an angry elephant, he'll have plenty of time to wonder if the Berenson Family Decision-Making Rules did enough to keep him out of trouble.

After a wild plan by his parents left Jack stranded in the Caribbean, the Berenson family decided to lay out some rules. Jack's mom and dad agreed they wouldn't take so many risks. Jack agreed he'd try to live life without worrying quite so much. Then Jack's parents thought up another get-rich-quick scheme. Now the family's driving around Kenya. An animal attack is about to send Jack up a tree?alone, with limited supplies. As Jack attempts to outsmart a ferocious honey badger and keep away from an angry elephant, he'll have plenty of time to wonder if the Berenson Family Decision-Making Rules did enough to keep him out of trouble.

An unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else. Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

Jack's parents have bought a farmhouse in Nepal. It'll be the site of a new religion?their latest get-rich-quick scheme. Sure, the Berensons don't know quite how to get to the place. But once they arrive, their plan is sure to work. When the Berenson family's travels leave Jack lost in the wilderness of Nepal, a patched-up old raft is the only way to track down his mom and dad. At least this time, Jack has company. He's riding with Harry from Connecticut, a traveling dude who has been trying to find himself?and who also wound up stranded. As Jack and Harry ride down a winding river, they'll have to watch out for rocks, rapids, and even crocodiles!