The Lake of the Beginning: A Fable of Salmon, Northern Lights and An Old Promise Kept (Game & Fish Mastery Library) [Hardcover]

Ed Gray (Author)

Book Description

Series: Game & Fish Mastery Library | Publication Date: September 1998

The Lake of the Beginning is a timeless and beautiful fable about nothing less than storytelling itself. The tale interweaves the natural history of sockeye salmon returning upstream to their home lake, tribal tales of an ancient Inuit man, and a young college professor who has brought her two children to Alaska to spread their grandmother's ashes on the mystic lake. As the spawning salmon draw nearer the lake of their beginning and the old man's story approaches its conclusion, layers of mystery peel away as startling new chapters unfold for each of the characters. In a moving conclusion, the bond that has brought them all together at the same moment reveals itself under a radiant blaze of northern lights, creating yet another story. With beginnings and endings, truth and meaning, science and magic, and a promise honored, The Lake of the Beginning is a story you'd wish will never end, and, in a sense, never does. The compelling story is superbly illustrated ! by noted wildlife photographer Jeff Foott, whose dramatic photographs of sockeye salmon on their journey home are appropriately sequenced throughout the book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ed Gray founded the highly-esteemed Gray's Sporting Journal with his wife, Rebecca, in 1975 and has been a contributing editor to Esquire Sportsman and Sports Afield. He now writes fiction from his home contributing frequently to national magazines.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 126 pages
• Publisher: Willow Creek Pr (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572230851
• ISBN-13: 978-1572230859
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,611,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ed Gray was the founding editor of Gray's Sporting Journal. The author of ten books and numerous articles, he lives in Lyme, NH with his wife, the author Rebecca Gray.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest works of all time!, April 6, 2000

By 

Francine - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lake of the Beginning: A Fable of Salmon, Northern Lights and An Old Promise Kept (Game & Fish Mastery Library) (Hardcover)

I found this book by accident in my school library, and up till now, i have been borrowing it to read. This story describes all about the life of the Sockeye Salmon, told by a Qualik man, on how they tried very hard to return to the old ocean when it was being divided. They spent many years to get to the old ocean, but there was a waterfall obstructing their path. On the other hand, a mother and 2 children came to this part of Alaska to throw their grandmother's ashes into the river in which the Sockeye salmon came to breed. They met the Qualik man, and he began to tell the tale of the Sockeye Salmon. Both parts of the stories meet at the near end of the story, to form a very touching ending. First-time readers may find it very difficult to comprehend the whole story, but with patient reading and analysing, you will realise that this story is a one-of-a-time classic. A beautiful story written by Ed Gray, and i recommend it to all readers. Thumbs up for Lake of the Beginning!

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and thought-provoking, May 26, 2011

By 

Cheryl A. Bowman "who likes to read all sorts... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lake of the Beginning: A Fable of Salmon, Northern Lights and An Old Promise Kept (Game & Fish Mastery Library) (Hardcover)

A masterful telling of interwoven tales, fish and human. This is one of those books that lingers in my mind in a good way, reminding of how all of our lives affect those around us. The pictures are beautiful and the writing is gentle and thorough.

I really appreciated this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading quiet, reflective books. Definitely a hidden treasure and one I will be giving as gifts.