Togetherness is Our Home: An Orca's Journey through Life

by Astrid M. van Ginneken

Think of orcas, and you may instantly imagine the killer whales prowling the high seas in search of prey. Yet, these predators are much more than ruthless killers, and are in fact, complex creatures that feel and love within the groups they live. In pitch-perfect prose, orca expert Dr. Astrid M. van Ginneken puts the reader into the orca’s mind as she tells the story of the young killer whale Tuschka. Born in the wild, Tuschka learns the ways of her pod of fellow creatures and experiences the never-ending search for food, the joy of play, and the sadness of loss. But then Tuschka is mercilessly taken from her home waters and transferred to a marine park, where her only solace is a trust in her human trainers. Will she ever again join her family in the wild? Fascinating and heartfelt, this is a novel that is an astonishing account of the bonds between whales, and the relationship of man and orca.

Genres: Animals, Biology

406 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2007

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful novel! What really stood out to me was how accurate this was to orca behaviour. As accurate as any textbook on orcas. The story itself is beautiful, touching and possibly even eye opening. It's written with such description that you really sympathize with the characters, and almost get a sense of what life might be like for these animals. I really enjoyed the switch from human to whale perspective. One of the best anthropomorphic animal book that I have read.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this if you love to cry so much