39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful, moving family drama that spans the generations! Beautiful writing!, January 14, 2008
This review is from: Whale Song: A Novel (Paperback)
The title of this book leaped out at me from its striking cover, but when I started reading, I was captivated by how meaningful the title was to this very moving story. Cheryl Kaye Tardif's words, scenes and characters flowed through the pages so smoothly I almost forgot I was reading. I felt as though I were in Canada with the characters.
This is a story about an eleven-year-old girl, Sarah Richardson, who moves with her family to Vancouver Island, Canada where her father, a biologist, has taken a new job studying killer whales. Sarah makes friends with a neighbor girl, Goldie Dixon, who is a Nootka Indian. Before Sarah moved there, a tragedy occurred in Goldie's family; it involved her older brother, and there is a mysterious tie-in to this novel's title through that occurrence.
Goldie's wise granddmother, Nana, steeped in Indian tradition, plays a major role in Sarah's life, and Goldie's entire family becomes friends with Sarah's family as the story unfolds. When Sarah's mother becomes ill, a boy who has a crush on Sarah gives her a lovely whale figurine which is another tie-in to the title.
What happened in Goldie's family before Sarah came to live there? How does Sarah lose her mother ... and then her father, in uniquely different ways? How does she reclaim them both ...in uniquely different ways? And how does Sarah lose her memory? Why can't she remember the events of the most tragic day in her life? And just how does a whale figure into the plot? Do people who are drowned truly come back as whales, as the Nootkas believe?
That's a long list of questions, I know, but this author answers them with such dexterity, she'll leave you breathless. And, finally, the question that begs to be answered: What IS a Whale Song and how does it help Sarah reclaim her mother?
To get the answers to those questions, you must read this intriguing, exciting book. It will tug at your heart strings, stirring your emotions like no other.
One doesn't simply read a Tardif story, one experiences it! Among the very few authors I've ever said that about is my all-time favorite Pat Conroy. Like him, Cheryl Kaye Tardif has a definite way with words, weaving a touch of magic into them ... a little like Conroy in BEACH MUSIC, my favorite book..
This is not only a coming-of-age story, it's a love story, a mystery and a family drama in one clear, concise package. Though billed as women's fiction or general fiction, this novel will appeal to YA and all generations--just as "Harry Potter" does.
"Whale Song" is a bestseller in Canada and the US. It made both lists on Amazon shortly after it was released. I'm not surprised that a film producer is looking closely at this book. In the front of my copy, Tardif wrote: Dare to Dream, and Dream Big! I certainly hope her Big Dream comes true and this novel becomes a movie!
My only regret is that I didn't discover this author sooner. She has two other novels out, "Divine Intervention" and "The River." But she says she "holds this one close to her heart." Well, it's now close to my heart, too, as I'm sure it will be to yours. I look forward to reading those other two, but I can't wait to read the one she's currently working on; it's a nonfiction story about the tragic murder of her younger brother and his friends, The Porch Monkeys ... a story of the lost, the forgiven.
Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008
Millennium Babe: The Prophecy
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Touched my heart..., August 12, 2007
This review is from: Whale Song: A Novel (Paperback)
I am thrilled to be introduced to Whale Song by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. This talented author has written a moving tale that touched my heart. From the opening page of the prologue, I was captivated.
Eleven year old Sarah Richardson has her world uprooted when her parents move from a ranch in Wyoming to Vancouver Island, Canada. Her father is a biology professor who has taken a job studying killer whales. Things are difficult for Sarah at first, but she is fortunate to meet Goldie Dixon, a neighbor of the same age who happens to be a Nootka Indian. Goldie's older brother drowned and her Indian tradition believes that he has come back as a whale and speaks to her. As Sarah faces a family tragedy, Goldie and her wise grandmother, Nana, will help Sarah navigate the rough road that lies ahead.
Whale Song is a powerfully moving story that had me in tears more than once (and I'm not usually an emotional reader). It's a tale of love and sacrifice, friendship and survival, and doing what is best for those you love--despite the cost. But what makes Whale Song sing is Tardif's beautiful writing. I picked it up one afternoon and couldn't put it down until I was finished.
Cheryl Kaye Tardif has written two other books, Divine Intervention and The River. I have definitely added them to my reading list.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An engrossing, powerful story, March 18, 2008
This review is from: Whale Song: A Novel (Paperback)
Only child, star in her parent's crown, Sarah's fairytale life takes a startling and sad turn. Whale Song is beautifully written, and though not an action novel, it is a page turner. The novel is emotionally evocative (I shed tears for Sarah and her companions) but there are many, many heartwarming and encouraging aspects. You quickly become embroiled in the narrator's life, and Sarah's voice is so strong you could believe you are reading a true story. The characters are convincing, engaging and memorable. I found myself thinking about the novel and its "lessons" while driving to work, often in fact. The Native American mysticism was particularly well done and interesting.
The story begins when 11-year-old Sarah, her mother and father move from Wyoming to Vancouver--from the mountains to the sea. Her father is a marine biologist, her mother an artist. Sarah is devastated by the move but soon makes friends with a Native American girl named Goldie and is accepted by Goldie's family and her wise woman grandmother Nana but at school another Native American student teaches Sarah about discrimination and cruelty.
Whale Song follows Sarah as she matures--her tragedies and triumphs--to a satisfying end.
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