Beloved BC author Roderick Haig-Brown was at the height of his creative powers when he crafted this coming-of-age story set in an aboriginal whaling village on the West Coast. In The Whale People, young Atlin must one day succeed his father Nit-gass, a great whaling chief of the Hotsath people. The boy trains for his role with the mixture of yearning and apprehension experienced by every youth racing toward adulthood - except that in Atlin's case, his whole community is depending on his success. With lean, sure-footed prose, Haig-Brown captures the tangled emotions of adolescence, and in the process conveys a vivid portrait of pre-Columbian life on the West Coast. Never preachy or condescending, The Whale People is richly furnished with the material and spiritual mainstays of its characters: canoes, harpoons, animals and "tumanos," the personal magic a great whaler and leader must possess. "Timeless" is a term too freely bandied about, but seldom has a story so deftly married the moment with the millennia. Written 40 years ago - it was named Book of the Year for Children by the Canadian Library Association in 1964 - it could be set 400 years ago, yet there is not one quaint or dated sentence in it.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"...it will be especially enjoyed by boys looking for an enthralling adventure."
-Linda Irvine, Resource Links (Resource Links )
"I am in awe of the beautiful way Haig-Brown communicates a balance of nature and humankind, a dance of respect and wonder; involving all creatures."
-Lian Goodall, The Guelph Mercury (The Guelph Mercury )
"...timeless tale..." ---Ron MacIsaac, Lower Island NEWS (Lower Island NEWS )
-Linda Irvine, Resource Links (Resource Links )
"I am in awe of the beautiful way Haig-Brown communicates a balance of nature and humankind, a dance of respect and wonder; involving all creatures."
-Lian Goodall, The Guelph Mercury (The Guelph Mercury )
"...timeless tale..." ---Ron MacIsaac, Lower Island NEWS (Lower Island NEWS )
About the Author
Roderick Haig-Brown (1908-1976) remains one of North America's most popular and best-loved writers about the outdoors. He was born in England and settled in Campbell River, BC, in 1931. He was a dedicated conservationist and a prolific writer, author of many articles and stories and 25 books, including novels, books about sport fishing and stories for young readers, including the classic Saltwater Summer. Haig-Brown also served as a magistrate and as chancellor of the University of Victoria.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
It was a hot day, with a westerly wind, but inside Kashutl Inlet, behind the rock bluffs of the northern shore, the water was still as glass. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fourth paddler, whale chief, stone harpoon, cutting lance, whale spirit, killing lance, harpoon shaft, bow thwart, forward thwart, more floats, tail flukes, bear robe, harpoon head, good thrust, second canoe, village beach, winter dance, first whale, grey whale, more whales, high prow, young chief Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chief Eskowit, Hotsath Island, Supernatural Shark, Kashutl Inlet, Whale People, Round Hill Point, Shark Island, Shaman's Dance, Chief Kon-gass, Four Chiefs, Seal Rocks, Shark Point New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
It was a hot day, with a westerly wind, but inside Kashutl Inlet, behind the rock bluffs of the northern shore, the water was still as glass. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fourth paddler, whale chief, stone harpoon, cutting lance, whale spirit, killing lance, harpoon shaft, bow thwart, forward thwart, more floats, tail flukes, bear robe, harpoon head, good thrust, second canoe, village beach, winter dance, first whale, grey whale, more whales, high prow, young chief Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Chief Eskowit, Hotsath Island, Supernatural Shark, Kashutl Inlet, Whale People, Round Hill Point, Shark Island, Shaman's Dance, Chief Kon-gass, Four Chiefs, Seal Rocks, Shark Point New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 8
books:
See all 8 books this book cites
2
books
cite this book:
- Haida Quest by Mary Razzell in Back Matter
- The Golden Pine Cone by Catherine Anthony Clark in Back Matter
- Starbuck Valley Winter by Roderick Haig-Brown in Back Matter
- The Northern and Central Nootkan Tribes (Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnnology Bulletin 144) by Philip Drucker in Front Matter
- Saltwater Summer (Junior Canadian Classics) by Roderick Haig-Brown in Back Matter
See all 8 books this book cites
- Whales of the West Coast by David A.E. Spalding on page 177, and page 203
- Raincoast Chronicles Six/Ten by Howard White on page 101
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