Ancient Polynesians circumnavigate the
Pacific
500 years before Columbus
in new historical
novel
Based on archeological and anthropological
studies, “Voyages of Malolo: Secret of the Rongo” by Robert Bonville
depicts the early exploration and dangers of the Pacific and the
wild west coast of the America’s and Hawaii in 1000
AD.
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.”
The majestic Malolo and its crew of expert
sailors and navigators braved the harshest of conditions including a tsunami, a
hurricane and severe temperature extremes. This mighty vessel performed as if
the gods that inspired the journey, lived within her koa wood twin hulls.
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
and 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.
Robert Bonville
Phone: (520) 777-3346