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A review by spittingyarn
Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales: A Memoir by Doreen Cunningham
5.0
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.