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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I loved the travels and learning about the Indigenous peoples of Alaska and the whales. I didn't love the details of Cunningham's personal and sexual life.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
This is definitely a memoir unlike anyone I’ve read before, with both its style and content. I was hopeful that I’d love it because memoir is one of my favorite genres and whales my favorite animals, but the writing style felt a bit too opaque for me, as did the motivation for the trip. I found myself feeling disconnected from the story, which really is more about incompatibility with the writing than anything else. I don’t think this one was for me, but I am intrigued to see how other authors incorporate animals and biology into their personal stories.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
reflective
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
I have loved whales forever. When I was a young teen I was obsessed with them. My favourite book was Heathcote Williams’ poetic, highly-illustrated hymn to whales, “Whale Nation”. These days, my love for the giant creatures is less all-encompassing, but when book recommender par excellence @pennywincer mentioned “Soundings”, it was insta-purchase time.
Nature writing has been a very male dominated discipline and whale writing is no exception, tied up as it is with inhospitable climes, nautical adventures and exploration. So what a relief to read Soundings, BBC climate journalist Doreen Cunningham’s fantastic whale-filled memoir and very much a woman’s story.
Soundings expertly twines two threads: the first - Cunningham’s journey with her two year old son, Max, following the grey whale migration from California to the Arctic. Mother and child had a difficult start, dealing with Cunningham’s unpleasant ex, the family courts and a return to her childhood home in Jersey. The journey feels like an escape from all this but also an opportunity to grow into themselves. The pair are vulnerable and reliant on the kindness of strangers, which is not always forthcoming. And the whales themselves prove difficult to keep up with at times. Cunningham and son are tenacious and determined, spurred on by brief moments of bliss with the whales and the friendships they make on their way.
The second, fascinating strand describes Cunningham’s time living with an Iñupiaq family in Alaska before her son was born. There she formed life-changing bonds with both people and place.
This is a gentle, moving book which has all sorts of things to say, not just about whales but also about being a parent, relationships (human and animal), climate, culture and kindness.
A touching and refreshing read from a distinctive new voice.
Nature writing has been a very male dominated discipline and whale writing is no exception, tied up as it is with inhospitable climes, nautical adventures and exploration. So what a relief to read Soundings, BBC climate journalist Doreen Cunningham’s fantastic whale-filled memoir and very much a woman’s story.
Soundings expertly twines two threads: the first - Cunningham’s journey with her two year old son, Max, following the grey whale migration from California to the Arctic. Mother and child had a difficult start, dealing with Cunningham’s unpleasant ex, the family courts and a return to her childhood home in Jersey. The journey feels like an escape from all this but also an opportunity to grow into themselves. The pair are vulnerable and reliant on the kindness of strangers, which is not always forthcoming. And the whales themselves prove difficult to keep up with at times. Cunningham and son are tenacious and determined, spurred on by brief moments of bliss with the whales and the friendships they make on their way.
The second, fascinating strand describes Cunningham’s time living with an Iñupiaq family in Alaska before her son was born. There she formed life-changing bonds with both people and place.
This is a gentle, moving book which has all sorts of things to say, not just about whales but also about being a parent, relationships (human and animal), climate, culture and kindness.
A touching and refreshing read from a distinctive new voice.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
I was the target audience for this book. I love - love -- nature memoirs that bend genres. You want to talk about the history of whaling in the Arctic and tie it into your own life story? I'm here for it.
There's no doubt Doreen is a thoughtful, considerate author, and occasionally her writing and insight rocked. But also... there were so, so many threads in this book. The glimmers where they sort of kind of came together -- they come together if you squint-- were lovely. And also... as a whole, the narrative never fully cohered for me. Worth reading, and plenty of quiet passion, but man, I would have loved to edit this work.
Readalike: Why Fish Don't Exist, by Lulu Miller.
There's no doubt Doreen is a thoughtful, considerate author, and occasionally her writing and insight rocked. But also... there were so, so many threads in this book. The glimmers where they sort of kind of came together -- they come together if you squint-- were lovely. And also... as a whole, the narrative never fully cohered for me. Worth reading, and plenty of quiet passion, but man, I would have loved to edit this work.
Readalike: Why Fish Don't Exist, by Lulu Miller.