Review of The Whaler's Daughter
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Kayla Archer
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Review of The Whaler's Daughter
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Whaler's Daughter" by Jerry Mikorenda.]
The Whaler’s Daughter by Jerry Mikorenda is a delightful coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old girl trying to find her place in the whaling world. Savannah Dawson lives on a bay with her father, an Australian whaler and widower. Her brothers, Eli and Asa, died mysteriously eight years ago. Savannah believes her brothers were slain by the orcas, which the whalers use to aid their hunts. Savannah is determined to discover what exactly happened to her brothers and if she can trust the orcas that her father and other whalers admire.
The story begins with the memory of Savannah’s brothers and their deaths. Her father is a whaler, and she desperately wants to be on the whaling boats, even though she’s a girl. While trying to prove herself worthy, she encounters a boy named Calagan, or Figgie, who is an Aborigines prince. They form an instant friendship. Figgie encourages Savannah to draw, and she finds she demonstrates an extraordinary talent for art.
During her summer, Savannah wrestles with feelings of anger and hatred toward the orcas. Her memories tell her the killer whales took Eli’s and Asa’s lives that dreadful day, but the more she listens to others, she realizes her original memories may be untrue. Her view changes when she encounters Jungay, the leader of the orca pack, and her hatred is turned into affection. Savannah recognizes trust is not something that can be given liberally to anyone. She delivers a speech on orcas to the men of the village, only to discover those men use her information to collect the orcas to kill them to create a new, modern village.
I loved reading The Whaler’s Daughter. It is full of adventure and growth. From the onset, Savannah grapples with many issues and struggles through each one, taking her from childhood to adulthood. She learns about love and trust through her interactions with the killer whales. She experiences repentance when she takes part in a whale killing. She feels deception when men take her information and use it against her. The story is beautifully compiled; I was disappointed when it came to an end. The character of Savannah is a charming, spunky girl who is trying so hard to prove herself. Through her adventures and hardships, she grows closer to her misunderstood father and learns who she is.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. There was minimal language, and it was exceptionally well edited with no grammatical errors detected. It was a great, easy read, and it stuck with me after I set it down. Mikorenda has done a fantastic job portraying an adolescent girl coming of age: “What’s being grown up gonna be like?” I asked . . . “Will it be fun like this?”; “Maybe, if we’re lucky . . . We’ll stay who we are.”; “I don’t know who I am yet,” I said . . . (150).
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. It was masterfully written and had a great storyline. I believe this book could find its way into classrooms. I recommend this book to children, especially girls, ages 8-15. I would also recommend this book to parents and teachers, as I believe it could be a great resource for classrooms, and it could be studied as a unit. It is tasteful, pleasant, and challenging at the same time.
******
The Whaler's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Whaler’s Daughter by Jerry Mikorenda is a delightful coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old girl trying to find her place in the whaling world. Savannah Dawson lives on a bay with her father, an Australian whaler and widower. Her brothers, Eli and Asa, died mysteriously eight years ago. Savannah believes her brothers were slain by the orcas, which the whalers use to aid their hunts. Savannah is determined to discover what exactly happened to her brothers and if she can trust the orcas that her father and other whalers admire.
The story begins with the memory of Savannah’s brothers and their deaths. Her father is a whaler, and she desperately wants to be on the whaling boats, even though she’s a girl. While trying to prove herself worthy, she encounters a boy named Calagan, or Figgie, who is an Aborigines prince. They form an instant friendship. Figgie encourages Savannah to draw, and she finds she demonstrates an extraordinary talent for art.
During her summer, Savannah wrestles with feelings of anger and hatred toward the orcas. Her memories tell her the killer whales took Eli’s and Asa’s lives that dreadful day, but the more she listens to others, she realizes her original memories may be untrue. Her view changes when she encounters Jungay, the leader of the orca pack, and her hatred is turned into affection. Savannah recognizes trust is not something that can be given liberally to anyone. She delivers a speech on orcas to the men of the village, only to discover those men use her information to collect the orcas to kill them to create a new, modern village.
I loved reading The Whaler’s Daughter. It is full of adventure and growth. From the onset, Savannah grapples with many issues and struggles through each one, taking her from childhood to adulthood. She learns about love and trust through her interactions with the killer whales. She experiences repentance when she takes part in a whale killing. She feels deception when men take her information and use it against her. The story is beautifully compiled; I was disappointed when it came to an end. The character of Savannah is a charming, spunky girl who is trying so hard to prove herself. Through her adventures and hardships, she grows closer to her misunderstood father and learns who she is.
There is nothing I disliked about the book. There was minimal language, and it was exceptionally well edited with no grammatical errors detected. It was a great, easy read, and it stuck with me after I set it down. Mikorenda has done a fantastic job portraying an adolescent girl coming of age: “What’s being grown up gonna be like?” I asked . . . “Will it be fun like this?”; “Maybe, if we’re lucky . . . We’ll stay who we are.”; “I don’t know who I am yet,” I said . . . (150).
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. It was masterfully written and had a great storyline. I believe this book could find its way into classrooms. I recommend this book to children, especially girls, ages 8-15. I would also recommend this book to parents and teachers, as I believe it could be a great resource for classrooms, and it could be studied as a unit. It is tasteful, pleasant, and challenging at the same time.
******
The Whaler's Daughter
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: One Jesus, One Way by The Proving Jesus Group
