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Whalesong Trilogy #2
White Whale
WHALESONG introduced Hruna, a humpback whale, in an ecological parable of personal and spiritual growth. Now, in WHITE WHALE, meet Hruna's son, Hralekana, and enter a deep sea world that dazzles and delights.
As he swims the oceans of the world, Hralekana, a magnificent great white whale, recounts his birth and frolicsome childhood—how he was teased for being all white, how he soon outgrew all his playmates, and how he came to discover the other inhabitants of the sea. He share traditional whale legends and warnings: to beware of great white sharks, killer whales, the giant squid, and most especially, humans, who sometimes capture sea creatures and make them perform strange games to earn their food—something that only dolphins, as natural show-offs, actually enjoy.
Growing and learning his pod's feeding, mating, and migration habits, Hralekana is introduced to their moving and mysterious means of communication, such as the Song of Farewell, the Song of the Hunt, and the Song of Distant Love.
Embarking on the Lonely Cruise, a yearling's rite of passage, Hralekana experiences the adolescent's fear and exhilaration as he sings the Song of the Open Sea. His adventures expose him to dangerous oil spills, frightening visions of the wreck of the Titanic, a kind and ecologically concerned human whom he befriends, and finally, a terrifying encounter with the dark side of humanity.
From his carefree childhood to the dramatic challenges of his adulthood, Hralekana's trials, triumphs, and laughter contain lessons on love, nature, and sacrifice, for him and for the rest of us.
**Acclaim for the novels of Robert Siegel**
"Whalesong is one of those rare and wondrous things, a book which is born a classic. Robert Siegel has become one with the great song of the humpback whale, and the reader is drawn into the song with him. Hruna's tale of birth and life and terror and sacrifice and joy has the quality of true myth. Whalesong is an utterly beautiful book."
—Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time
"I was enthralled by Whalesong. Robert Siegel's book is a short masterpiece of imaginative fiction that should be read by every American. It should be read by every whale, which is to say that Siegel has humanized these greatest of earthly creatures, has made them talk, feel, and act like us, under the aegis of their singing. This is a masterful work combining mythology, philosophy, and poetry in a story that is exciting and convincing."
—Richard Eberhart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
"Robert Siegel's accomplishment is breathtaking, astonishing. He has made the ways of our huge warm-blooded kin come utterly alive without condescension or anthropomorphism. It is through him that we can now not only understand but live the meaning and being of the 'deepest beast'."
—James Dickey, National Book Award Winner, author of Deliverance
"This is a marvelous whale opera. I enthusiastically recommend these lyrics and hope someone will write the music. Maybe it will be a humpback whale..."
—John and Toni Tilly, authors of Communications Between Man and Dolphin
"This beautifully written and epic tale of a great species' struggle for survival deserves to be widely read by adults as well as children. Its special ability to illicit empathy and provoke outrage from readers could prove as powerful of all the voyages of Greenpeace in assuring that the whales will continue to sing their song."
—John Ferell, author of Rain
"Siegel's tales have the magic of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and the lyric majesty of Thoreau's prose. Highly recommended.
As he swims the oceans of the world, Hralekana, a magnificent great white whale, recounts his birth and frolicsome childhood—how he was teased for being all white, how he soon outgrew all his playmates, and how he came to discover the other inhabitants of the sea. He share traditional whale legends and warnings: to beware of great white sharks, killer whales, the giant squid, and most especially, humans, who sometimes capture sea creatures and make them perform strange games to earn their food—something that only dolphins, as natural show-offs, actually enjoy.
Growing and learning his pod's feeding, mating, and migration habits, Hralekana is introduced to their moving and mysterious means of communication, such as the Song of Farewell, the Song of the Hunt, and the Song of Distant Love.
Embarking on the Lonely Cruise, a yearling's rite of passage, Hralekana experiences the adolescent's fear and exhilaration as he sings the Song of the Open Sea. His adventures expose him to dangerous oil spills, frightening visions of the wreck of the Titanic, a kind and ecologically concerned human whom he befriends, and finally, a terrifying encounter with the dark side of humanity.
From his carefree childhood to the dramatic challenges of his adulthood, Hralekana's trials, triumphs, and laughter contain lessons on love, nature, and sacrifice, for him and for the rest of us.
**Acclaim for the novels of Robert Siegel**
"Whalesong is one of those rare and wondrous things, a book which is born a classic. Robert Siegel has become one with the great song of the humpback whale, and the reader is drawn into the song with him. Hruna's tale of birth and life and terror and sacrifice and joy has the quality of true myth. Whalesong is an utterly beautiful book."
—Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time
"I was enthralled by Whalesong. Robert Siegel's book is a short masterpiece of imaginative fiction that should be read by every American. It should be read by every whale, which is to say that Siegel has humanized these greatest of earthly creatures, has made them talk, feel, and act like us, under the aegis of their singing. This is a masterful work combining mythology, philosophy, and poetry in a story that is exciting and convincing."
—Richard Eberhart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
"Robert Siegel's accomplishment is breathtaking, astonishing. He has made the ways of our huge warm-blooded kin come utterly alive without condescension or anthropomorphism. It is through him that we can now not only understand but live the meaning and being of the 'deepest beast'."
—James Dickey, National Book Award Winner, author of Deliverance
"This is a marvelous whale opera. I enthusiastically recommend these lyrics and hope someone will write the music. Maybe it will be a humpback whale..."
—John and Toni Tilly, authors of Communications Between Man and Dolphin
"This beautifully written and epic tale of a great species' struggle for survival deserves to be widely read by adults as well as children. Its special ability to illicit empathy and provoke outrage from readers could prove as powerful of all the voyages of Greenpeace in assuring that the whales will continue to sing their song."
—John Ferell, author of Rain
"Siegel's tales have the magic of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and the lyric majesty of Thoreau's prose. Highly recommended.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Robert Siegel
82 books17 followersRobert Harold Siegel was an American poet and novelist. He authored four books of poetry and five children's novels.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 31, 2022
So while this second book of The Whalesong Trilogy followed a similar plot formula as to the life of the whales, there are enough differences in here that it is indeed different. For one a fantasy element has been added and I do think it improves the story. Now I see why many people have this series marked down as "fantasy". I love fantasy so nothing wrong with that! Its also more about ecology and saving the environment, while the first one was more about the whale hunting.
So... What did I think?
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. In fact it may even be better as now there is a relationship developing between a human named Mark and the whale Hralekana. That adds a bit of hope to the story. Yet there are many dark elements in here. In fact this one is probably darker than the first as the environment is being affected. And this one ends so... Well. I just don't know what is going to happen! Huge cliffhanger! I will definitely have to read the third book to find out...but I do have hope that it will be all good in the end.
The whales are still going on their spiritual deep dives to have visions. They are very peaceful, spiritual beings. Their history and stories and mythology is in songs. Which is very wonderful and unique. It's also very ancient. I think that is how people did things before we had written language. It was all oral. And the whales are the same.
But this is quite the adventure story. Hralekana takes many risks in here. I would say he is definitely more a dare devil than his father Hruna was! There were a few spots where I was thinking "you shouldn't be doing that!" but of course Hralekana doesn't listen! But he is very curious and just wants to learn stuff but often his curiosity almost gets him killed! And since this book is fatter it is more satisfying!
Like the first book, there are many poems (songs) in here.
I have actually read the first two books in this series the same day! That should tell you something. Wonderful descriptions of everything too. The world of the sea and being a whale truly comes alive.
So... What did I think?
I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. In fact it may even be better as now there is a relationship developing between a human named Mark and the whale Hralekana. That adds a bit of hope to the story. Yet there are many dark elements in here. In fact this one is probably darker than the first as the environment is being affected. And this one ends so... Well. I just don't know what is going to happen! Huge cliffhanger! I will definitely have to read the third book to find out...but I do have hope that it will be all good in the end.
The whales are still going on their spiritual deep dives to have visions. They are very peaceful, spiritual beings. Their history and stories and mythology is in songs. Which is very wonderful and unique. It's also very ancient. I think that is how people did things before we had written language. It was all oral. And the whales are the same.
But this is quite the adventure story. Hralekana takes many risks in here. I would say he is definitely more a dare devil than his father Hruna was! There were a few spots where I was thinking "you shouldn't be doing that!" but of course Hralekana doesn't listen! But he is very curious and just wants to learn stuff but often his curiosity almost gets him killed! And since this book is fatter it is more satisfying!
Like the first book, there are many poems (songs) in here.
I have actually read the first two books in this series the same day! That should tell you something. Wonderful descriptions of everything too. The world of the sea and being a whale truly comes alive.
October 22, 2015
Why didn't we read books like this one in school.
It gives you a lot to think about and there are definitely many interpretations possible.
Very lyrical, though it is written kind of strangely. Maybe this is just a bad translation
of the original as I am reading those books in German.
It gives you a lot to think about and there are definitely many interpretations possible.
Very lyrical, though it is written kind of strangely. Maybe this is just a bad translation
of the original as I am reading those books in German.
April 14, 2020
While Whalesong built a picture of the world, life, and culture of a pod of humpback whales, this second instalment deepens the trilogy's exploration of the relationship between the whales and humans. As the protagonist whale Hralekana and the pod struggle to understand the deep and senseless destruction wrought by humans, they also form a bond with other humans who seem to understand their world. Though a little slow in the beginning, it builds up like the rising tide to a moving and lyrical story of kinship, courage, and love for nature.
November 23, 2023
Amazing read ! Of the perspective through the telling of White Whale who has trouble being liked by the other whales.And seeing his adventure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 14, 2026The urge to make a PowerPoint about this book is present.
January 27, 2012
For a while this book seemed to be going along much the same lines as its predecessor: birth, whale coming-of-age expedition, return to the pod and meet true love again etc. I was uncomfortable with the introduction of a human who could speak and understand whalish but I suppose if you're a white whale anything can happen.
As the story developed into a whale's eye view of Greenpeace anti-whaling activism I suffered from a feeling of manipulation. I'm old enough to remember some of the incidents described, although I don't recall the oil spill (in which he finds the human-whale speaker again).
It's a little cosy, but at the same time brings alive a perspective from another being who in my opinion has as much right to be on this planet as we have, and as much right to unpolluted enjoyment of this planet as ourselves. Is it preachy? I don't know. The three Visions that the whale has are realistic consequences of man's greed and complete disregard for the health of our oceans. If this book makes sixth graders think about these things (ref. the other reviews) then that's fine by me, but as other environmental organisations have found, those thoughts seem to disppear from the majority of young people until they have children of their own.
So I'm old enough to enjoy the treatment of the message, it is cleverly done with excellent and accurate description of the ocean ecosystem as science knows it so far, but I don't know whether I want to read the final part of the trilogy.
As the story developed into a whale's eye view of Greenpeace anti-whaling activism I suffered from a feeling of manipulation. I'm old enough to remember some of the incidents described, although I don't recall the oil spill (in which he finds the human-whale speaker again).
It's a little cosy, but at the same time brings alive a perspective from another being who in my opinion has as much right to be on this planet as we have, and as much right to unpolluted enjoyment of this planet as ourselves. Is it preachy? I don't know. The three Visions that the whale has are realistic consequences of man's greed and complete disregard for the health of our oceans. If this book makes sixth graders think about these things (ref. the other reviews) then that's fine by me, but as other environmental organisations have found, those thoughts seem to disppear from the majority of young people until they have children of their own.
So I'm old enough to enjoy the treatment of the message, it is cleverly done with excellent and accurate description of the ocean ecosystem as science knows it so far, but I don't know whether I want to read the final part of the trilogy.
June 19, 2016
This is the second book in the trilogy. I liked this story even better than book 1--I can't wait to begin book 3.
This is the story of the white whale, Hralekana-kolua (fullnam), son of the whales known as Hruna and Lewte. I met Hruna and Lewte in the first book and so enjoyed their story. With book 2, I traveled with Hralekana as he learns of the world around him--the joys, new friends, and his enemies. The references make to man-made and natural disasters are from the perspective of the creatures of the sea. You would have to have some understanding of history to know about these disasters--most of do, especially if you are over 18.
Ready this trilogy it is a wake up call to protect our environment--for both man and the creatures of the sea.
This is the story of the white whale, Hralekana-kolua (fullnam), son of the whales known as Hruna and Lewte. I met Hruna and Lewte in the first book and so enjoyed their story. With book 2, I traveled with Hralekana as he learns of the world around him--the joys, new friends, and his enemies. The references make to man-made and natural disasters are from the perspective of the creatures of the sea. You would have to have some understanding of history to know about these disasters--most of do, especially if you are over 18.
Ready this trilogy it is a wake up call to protect our environment--for both man and the creatures of the sea.
January 4, 2011
I used to listen to the audio book of this novel as a child particularly on road trips with my family. It was an old copy from the library and on cassette no less so that should say something about how long ago this was. However I remember loving the story and the descriptions of Hralekana's life and his narration. The reader's voice was so soothing and the imagery so beautiful that I often feel asleep. The details are fuzzy but I look forward to re-reading this book and adding to my review as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.
July 26, 2010
I was forced to read this book in sixth grade, and even at age eleven I was able to recognize how overwrought and self-important it was. It's a book about whales, for God's sake, and it took itself so seriously. My friends and I giggled over the endless descriptions of underwater seascapes. This is a book about talking animals that has no self-awareness of the silliness of the concept, or indeed any sense of fun.
October 11, 2010
After finishing the first book in the series and enjoying it (to a degree), I wanted to see how the other two books compared to my memory. I could barely get through this one! I felt like the author was very heavy-handed with his environmentalist message, and that was before I got to part where the whale and the human learned to communicate. Ugh! I could barely finish reading it and haven't even picked up the third.
Alas! I really liked these series in sixth grade.
Alas! I really liked these series in sixth grade.
May 13, 2012
I loved this book for its simple reconnect to nature. It wasnt just a story told through whale eyes, it was an entrance into another world, a world with love and fear and tradgedy so like our own. This book can be read by anyone, I first read it in fourth grade.
October 1, 2008
The second book of the Whalesong trilogy. I continued to enjoy the detail put into Hralekana's underwater life.
November 30, 2015
I can't say I liked this very much, but my five-year-old did. So I read it to him.
November 30, 2016
I, the dad, enjoyed this book more than the previous one. It had more action and interest. What's more important is that my five-year-old son liked it and kept asking for it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews