The Last Whaler
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4.8 • 11 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
THE LAST WHALER is an elegiac meditation on the will to survive under extreme conditions. Tor, a beluga whaler, and his wife, Astrid, a botanist specializing in Arctic flora, are stranded during the dark season of 1937-38 at his remote whaling station when they misjudge ice conditions and fail to rendezvous with the ship meant to carry them back to their home in southern Norway. Beyond enduring the Arctic winter' s twenty-four-hour night, the couple must cope with the dangers of polar bears, violent storms, and bitter cold as well as Astrid' s unexpected pregnancy. THE LAST WHALER concerns the impact of humans on pristine environments, the isolation of mental illness, the sustenance of religious faith, and the solace of storytelling.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Reeves (Falling Through the New World) spins a dramatic tale of survival at a frigid whaling station in 1937 Norway. Botanist Astrid Handeland accompanies her whaler husband, Tor, on his arctic beluga hunt, hoping to heal the rift between them after the death of their four-year-old son, Birk, who drowned in Oslo's harbor on Astrid's watch. As Astrid studies the arctic flora, her depression is exacerbated by the harsh weather conditions and the cramped living quarters she and Tor share with his crew. After Astrid gets unexpectedly but happily pregnant, the couple delays their return home to spend a couple of weeks alone. The situation quickly becomes dire after they fail to reach the rendezvous point with their ship, forcing them to shelter in their cabin through the winter with dangerously low rations and no medical care. Told through alternating viewpoints—Astrid's in letters to Birk and Tor's after he discovers those letters 10 years later—the story is packed with revelations about the couple's efforts to cope with their grief. This emotionally rich historical will keep readers turning the pages.
Customer Reviews
Hmmm . . .
Not at all what I expected, though, to be honest, I’m not sure what I did expect. This is a heavy read, dealing with life, death, grief, guilt, regret, and all the complexities involved with each. After all, what is a whaler but a killer of whales? . . . one who supplies necessary products, of course. The story is sandwiched between two world wars. And what is war but killing and dying on a mass scale? . . . and for what? What is the Arctic but inhospitable? There are drownings, animals are killed: polar bears, whales, reindeer, a baby seal, a seagull, sled dogs—miners die, mothers die, there is madness, suicide. Grief abounds—a complex emotion, often compounded by guilt. Which deaths do we mourn, and why? Which don’t we and why not? Which do we feel responsible for? Which are okay? Which are not? Seems death, too, is far more complex than one might have thought. By the time you think you're done with the book, you'll find it's not quite done with you. So many facets of death—the one surety we have in common with all living things on this planet. We come to find it is part of life. You'll be thinking about this book long after you finish it. If you feel up to the challenge—it's worth it—but be prepared for the darkness.
Magnificent!
The Last Whaler by Cynthia Reeves is a masterpiece of love, faith, deception, loss, reflections and self-discovery. My emotions ran the gambit as each detail related to the story but more importantly to my life. I highly recommend Reeves’ inspiring work if you are up to the challenge of deep thinking that promotes understanding. Rich, profound, wise…