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Cycle
“AN INSPIRING CALL TO ACTION.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS
Literary Classics Gold Medal Winner, Environmental Issues
Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner, Fiction Inspirational
Living Now Evergreen Book Award Winner, Nature Conservation
100% OF AUTHOR ROYALTIES WILL BE DONATED TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.
Redwoods thrive for centuries in the coastal regions of America’s Pacific Northwest. A monarch butterfly journeys from Northern meadows to the mountains of Central Mexico. The mother of four wolf pups leads her family through the Arctic’s stark terrain and bitter storms. One of the greatest seagoing mammals roams the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Alaska to the Galapagos. These voices speak to us of the meaning we seek in our lives.
Jennifer Huffman, Independent Publisher “Finally, a book about nature written by nature. In a collection of four short stories, author Jay Amberg chronicles the lives and journeys of four life forms by giving them each a voice. In their own words, an Arctic wolf, a migrating monarch butterfly, a lone sperm whale, and a Pacific Northwest redwood tree paint a picture of how they interact with their environment, emphasizing their daily fight to survive.
“As the book unfolds, a reoccurring life cycle theme emerges. Throughout each story, the reader’s frame of mind is transformed to that of the organism because Amberg presents the struggle to survive from its point of view. To complicate the fight for survival, each story also contains ominous hints about the presence of man and evidence of his impact on the organism’s life and habitat.
“The first story revolves around the life cycle of a redwood grove. The redwood describes what physical processes affect the growth of the stand and how it thrives in a stable cycle of birth, growth, death, decay, and rebirth. But it is troubling when the redwood describes how, over time, the air has become drier, temperatures have increased, the river floods more frequently, the floods are more severe, and the rainy season is shorter.
“The themes of the remaining stories are similar. A monarch butterfly details the stages of his short life and basic needs. After succumbing to his urge to migrate, he takes his final journey but is not able to find the forested winter roosting area. An Arctic wolf courageously leads her pack in the fight against starvation, rival wolves, and brutal cold while she raises her litter of pups with tenderness and care. However, she is set on edge due to brief encounters with an unfamiliar creature that lurks about near the edge of her pack. Finally, a mature male sperm whale tells of his life experiences from birth to maturity and the never ending migration he must make between northern and southern oceans. His story is distressing as he recalls details of man’s historical slaughtering of his species along with the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on the oceans.
“In the end, by having the plants and animals tell their own stories about their fight for survival in delicately balanced ecosystems, Amberg effectively persuades the reader that protection of these systems is essential. By framing the stories from the creature’s point of view, he provides a sometimes warm, yet sometimes tragic, read which engages the reader from start to finish.”
Literary Classics Gold Medal Winner, Environmental Issues
Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner, Fiction Inspirational
Living Now Evergreen Book Award Winner, Nature Conservation
100% OF AUTHOR ROYALTIES WILL BE DONATED TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY.
Redwoods thrive for centuries in the coastal regions of America’s Pacific Northwest. A monarch butterfly journeys from Northern meadows to the mountains of Central Mexico. The mother of four wolf pups leads her family through the Arctic’s stark terrain and bitter storms. One of the greatest seagoing mammals roams the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of Alaska to the Galapagos. These voices speak to us of the meaning we seek in our lives.
Jennifer Huffman, Independent Publisher “Finally, a book about nature written by nature. In a collection of four short stories, author Jay Amberg chronicles the lives and journeys of four life forms by giving them each a voice. In their own words, an Arctic wolf, a migrating monarch butterfly, a lone sperm whale, and a Pacific Northwest redwood tree paint a picture of how they interact with their environment, emphasizing their daily fight to survive.
“As the book unfolds, a reoccurring life cycle theme emerges. Throughout each story, the reader’s frame of mind is transformed to that of the organism because Amberg presents the struggle to survive from its point of view. To complicate the fight for survival, each story also contains ominous hints about the presence of man and evidence of his impact on the organism’s life and habitat.
“The first story revolves around the life cycle of a redwood grove. The redwood describes what physical processes affect the growth of the stand and how it thrives in a stable cycle of birth, growth, death, decay, and rebirth. But it is troubling when the redwood describes how, over time, the air has become drier, temperatures have increased, the river floods more frequently, the floods are more severe, and the rainy season is shorter.
“The themes of the remaining stories are similar. A monarch butterfly details the stages of his short life and basic needs. After succumbing to his urge to migrate, he takes his final journey but is not able to find the forested winter roosting area. An Arctic wolf courageously leads her pack in the fight against starvation, rival wolves, and brutal cold while she raises her litter of pups with tenderness and care. However, she is set on edge due to brief encounters with an unfamiliar creature that lurks about near the edge of her pack. Finally, a mature male sperm whale tells of his life experiences from birth to maturity and the never ending migration he must make between northern and southern oceans. His story is distressing as he recalls details of man’s historical slaughtering of his species along with the effects of global warming and environmental pollution on the oceans.
“In the end, by having the plants and animals tell their own stories about their fight for survival in delicately balanced ecosystems, Amberg effectively persuades the reader that protection of these systems is essential. By framing the stories from the creature’s point of view, he provides a sometimes warm, yet sometimes tragic, read which engages the reader from start to finish.”
- GenresNature
183 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2012
8 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Jay Amberg
22 books46 followersJay Amberg is the author of twelve books. He received a BA from Georgetown University and a PhD from Northwestern University. He has taught high school and college students since 1972.
His latest book, The Healer’s Daughters, is now available from Amika Press. Amberg has also published Bone Box, Cycle, America’s Fool, Whale Song, and compiled 52 Poems for Men.
Prior to Amika Press, Amberg published thriller novels Doubloon (Forge), Blackbird Singing (Forge) and Deep Gold (Warner Books).
Among his books on teaching are School Smarts and The Study Skills Handbook, published by Good Year. Amberg wrote The Creative Writing Handbook (Good Year) with Mark Henry Larson and Verbal Review and Workbook for the SAT (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) with Robert S Boone.
His latest book, The Healer’s Daughters, is now available from Amika Press. Amberg has also published Bone Box, Cycle, America’s Fool, Whale Song, and compiled 52 Poems for Men.
Prior to Amika Press, Amberg published thriller novels Doubloon (Forge), Blackbird Singing (Forge) and Deep Gold (Warner Books).
Among his books on teaching are School Smarts and The Study Skills Handbook, published by Good Year. Amberg wrote The Creative Writing Handbook (Good Year) with Mark Henry Larson and Verbal Review and Workbook for the SAT (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) with Robert S Boone.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2012
This book was reviewed by Lee Ashford for Reader's Favorites.
“The Cycle” by Jay Amberg is a very different, but very interesting, type of book. I’m not sure how to classify it, but I am sure that I think it should be required reading for a lot of people, from students to corporate CEO’s.
The “Cycle” Jay is writing about is, in its simplest form, the life cycle. But it is also much more than that, expanding its frame of reference to include the planetary cycle of existence. It is a book told in four parts, from the perspective of a Redwood tree, a Monarch butterfly, a Wolf pack and a Sperm whale. Each of these diverse perspectives begins at birth, of either the narrating organism, or its offspring. As they narrate their “typical” lives, they also relate evolutionarily recent intrusions into their lives, which have had, or are having, a negative impact on their respective existences.
The Redwood tree discusses the “recent” sound of chainsaws drawing nearer to it each year, although it does not know they are chainsaws. It DOES know post-storm runoff has become more violent and dirty each year, to the point of undercutting some of its kin.
The Monarch begins as an egg, and narrates it entire life cycle up to the point at which it migrates to its wintering grounds in a Mexican forest, only to find the forest is no longer there.
The Wolf matriarch’s tale is by far the longest, beginning with her having just given birth to another litter. She relates all the hardships they encounter, including the death of a high percentage of the pups she has birthed during her reproductive life span. Intrusions by a “giant black bird” (actually a helicopter) impact the clan by discharging scientists who study them.
Finally, the Sperm whale concludes the story by expressing how human interaction over the past several hundred years has had escalating impacts on not just Sperm whales, but on the ocean itself, and even the planet as a whole.
This book is not fiction, beyond the talking trees and animals. Regardless, the message of the book is an important one of which we humans all need to become aware.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who intends to spend their life on planet Earth.
“The Cycle” by Jay Amberg is a very different, but very interesting, type of book. I’m not sure how to classify it, but I am sure that I think it should be required reading for a lot of people, from students to corporate CEO’s.
The “Cycle” Jay is writing about is, in its simplest form, the life cycle. But it is also much more than that, expanding its frame of reference to include the planetary cycle of existence. It is a book told in four parts, from the perspective of a Redwood tree, a Monarch butterfly, a Wolf pack and a Sperm whale. Each of these diverse perspectives begins at birth, of either the narrating organism, or its offspring. As they narrate their “typical” lives, they also relate evolutionarily recent intrusions into their lives, which have had, or are having, a negative impact on their respective existences.
The Redwood tree discusses the “recent” sound of chainsaws drawing nearer to it each year, although it does not know they are chainsaws. It DOES know post-storm runoff has become more violent and dirty each year, to the point of undercutting some of its kin.
The Monarch begins as an egg, and narrates it entire life cycle up to the point at which it migrates to its wintering grounds in a Mexican forest, only to find the forest is no longer there.
The Wolf matriarch’s tale is by far the longest, beginning with her having just given birth to another litter. She relates all the hardships they encounter, including the death of a high percentage of the pups she has birthed during her reproductive life span. Intrusions by a “giant black bird” (actually a helicopter) impact the clan by discharging scientists who study them.
Finally, the Sperm whale concludes the story by expressing how human interaction over the past several hundred years has had escalating impacts on not just Sperm whales, but on the ocean itself, and even the planet as a whole.
This book is not fiction, beyond the talking trees and animals. Regardless, the message of the book is an important one of which we humans all need to become aware.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who intends to spend their life on planet Earth.
January 23, 2013
This book came through and caught my interest purely because it was different than anything else I had ever read.
I wanted to go a bit out of my comfort zone and see how it went.
I am so glad I took a chance.
Cycle is divided into four parts. Written in the point of view of a Tree, Wolf, Butterfly and a Whale.
Each section was beautifly written. Sparing no details, our eyes are opened to the lives of the species as they seek meaning and survival.
I adored the Tree portion of the book the most. I found myself marking down page numbers. Quotes I wanted to remember. I honestly never gave trees much thought before, they really are more interesting than we give them credit for.
This section really made the book for me. It was beautiful
I've decided should there be another lifetime I want to come back as a redwood tree.
The most difficult to read, being the whale section. We're exposed to the effects of humans on the whale species. As a whale lover part of me can't help but get emotional thinking about the damage that's been done in their natural habitat. All for the mighty dollar by corporations who are too driven by greed to see the world around them and the beauty it holds.
Cycle is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I found myself learning things about each subject. It was a smooth read that kept me engaged and wishing the book covered more than just four sections.
I highly recommend to anyone looking for a read that puts them in touch with the world around them. As well as anyone looking for a book that will pleasantly surprise them and take them out of their genre comfort zone.
So glad I read this book, definitely one I will be revisiting often. A beautiful well written book.
I wanted to go a bit out of my comfort zone and see how it went.
I am so glad I took a chance.
Cycle is divided into four parts. Written in the point of view of a Tree, Wolf, Butterfly and a Whale.
Each section was beautifly written. Sparing no details, our eyes are opened to the lives of the species as they seek meaning and survival.
I adored the Tree portion of the book the most. I found myself marking down page numbers. Quotes I wanted to remember. I honestly never gave trees much thought before, they really are more interesting than we give them credit for.
This section really made the book for me. It was beautiful
I've decided should there be another lifetime I want to come back as a redwood tree.
The most difficult to read, being the whale section. We're exposed to the effects of humans on the whale species. As a whale lover part of me can't help but get emotional thinking about the damage that's been done in their natural habitat. All for the mighty dollar by corporations who are too driven by greed to see the world around them and the beauty it holds.
Cycle is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. I found myself learning things about each subject. It was a smooth read that kept me engaged and wishing the book covered more than just four sections.
I highly recommend to anyone looking for a read that puts them in touch with the world around them. As well as anyone looking for a book that will pleasantly surprise them and take them out of their genre comfort zone.
So glad I read this book, definitely one I will be revisiting often. A beautiful well written book.
September 19, 2014
Uniquely told from a first person perspective, Cycle is a compilation of four different stories. Narrated by a ring of Redwood trees, a Monarch butterfly, a mother wolf, and a whale, each respective story offers insight into the wonders of nature around us. Each life-form is confronted by threats of harm while realizing its purpose in the grand scheme on this earth.
Author Jay Amberg's use of eloquent prose, combined with interesting facts and thought-provoking insight, help make this compelling book one that will appeal to many, especially those with an affinity for nature.
Author Jay Amberg's use of eloquent prose, combined with interesting facts and thought-provoking insight, help make this compelling book one that will appeal to many, especially those with an affinity for nature.
May 3, 2020
Alicia C. Accardi, Closed the Cover: “Alpha was by far my favorite of the tales.… This story is so thoroughly understandable that I forgot it was written about an animal; Her struggles, desires, heart and emotions were easily recognized.… The author gets my heartiest applause for delivering a story of life, death, family, tradition, survival and parenting so splendidly. It is fluid, engrossing and kept me engaged to the point that I began to read more slowly—I didn’t want it to end.”
May 3, 2020
Marcus Hammond, Luxury Reading: “Each story paints a vivid picture of how complex and fragile a system the natural world is. Amberg cleverly mixes biology and fiction to provide an enjoyable, at times, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking view into the wheel of life that everything and everyone is surrounded by and has an impact on.”
July 15, 2020
A really endearing read that puts the world, and life, into perspective. It makes you think - a lot.
did-not-finish
August 6, 2018*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I honestly have no idea why I accepted this book for review. Granted, at this point, I accepted it for review almost 6 years ago, and I've become a lot pickier about reading since then.
I finally picked it up today, got about 19 pages in (10 percent) and promptly gave it up. It's told in 1st person, and the first in the set of stories is about trees.
I do understand the seriousness and complexity the author is going for, but this just isn't a book that I'm able to get into well enough to finish it.
I honestly have no idea why I accepted this book for review. Granted, at this point, I accepted it for review almost 6 years ago, and I've become a lot pickier about reading since then.
I finally picked it up today, got about 19 pages in (10 percent) and promptly gave it up. It's told in 1st person, and the first in the set of stories is about trees.
I do understand the seriousness and complexity the author is going for, but this just isn't a book that I'm able to get into well enough to finish it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews