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De golvendanser
De nieuwe baan in Nieuw-Zeeland is voor Libby Bass, een biologe gespecialiseerd in de communicatie van walvissen en dolfijnen, een geweldige kans. Van het salaris kan ze met haar tienerdochter ruimschoots rondkomen, terwijl het werk haar tegelijkertijd de gelegenheid biedt haar favoriete zeedieren te bestuderen in een van de meest ongerepte wateren ter wereld. En wanneer ze John-Cody Gibbs ontmoet, een man die de natuur ter plaatse zo goed kent en begrijpt dat het haast onwerkelijk lijkt, denkt ze dat ze eindelijk de man gevonden heeft met wie ze haar leven wil delen.
Maar John-Cody rouwt nog om de dood van Mahina, de vrouw die hij meer dan twintig jaar heeft liefgehad. Alles wat hij weet heeft hij van haar geleerd. John-Cody leeft vooral voor de natuur, voor de schitterende kusten en de ongeschonden baaien in de omgeving van zijn huis.
Wanneer investeerders met onzalige horecaplannen dit aardse paradijs dreigen te vernietigen, vindt John-Cody in Libby een medestandster van formaat met wie hij samen de strijd aanbindt. Uiteindelijk zal zijn leven, na een lange periode van rouw, een nieuwe wending krijgen.
De golvendanser is een onvergetelijk verhaal over verdriet, troost en hervonden liefde - met als achtergrond de natuur in al haar grootse schoonheid. Tevens is dit een roman over de kracht van de natuur én van de mens - geschreven in beeldende taal en met levensechte personages. Een must voor wie genoten heeft van Het luipaardspoor en De wolvenlus.
Maar John-Cody rouwt nog om de dood van Mahina, de vrouw die hij meer dan twintig jaar heeft liefgehad. Alles wat hij weet heeft hij van haar geleerd. John-Cody leeft vooral voor de natuur, voor de schitterende kusten en de ongeschonden baaien in de omgeving van zijn huis.
Wanneer investeerders met onzalige horecaplannen dit aardse paradijs dreigen te vernietigen, vindt John-Cody in Libby een medestandster van formaat met wie hij samen de strijd aanbindt. Uiteindelijk zal zijn leven, na een lange periode van rouw, een nieuwe wending krijgen.
De golvendanser is een onvergetelijk verhaal over verdriet, troost en hervonden liefde - met als achtergrond de natuur in al haar grootse schoonheid. Tevens is dit een roman over de kracht van de natuur én van de mens - geschreven in beeldende taal en met levensechte personages. Een must voor wie genoten heeft van Het luipaardspoor en De wolvenlus.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Adam Armstrong
18 books4 followersJeff Gulvin, writing under the pseudonym Adam Armstrong, is the author of nine novels and is currently producing a new series set in the American West. His previous titles include three books starring maverick detective Aden Vanner and another three featuring FBI agent Harrison, as well as two novels originally published under the pseudonym Adam Armstrong, his great-grandfather’s name. He received acclaim for ghostwriting Long Way Down, the prize-winning account of a motorcycle trip from Scotland to the southern tip of Africa by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. The breadth of Gulvin’s fiction is vast, and his style has been described as commercial with just the right amount of literary polish. His stories range from hard-boiled crime to big-picture thriller to sweeping romance. Half English and half Scottish, Gulvin has always held a deep affection for the United States. He and his wife spend as much time in America as possible, particularly southern Idaho, their starting point for road-trip research missions to Nevada, Texas, or Louisiana, depending on where the next story takes them.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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September 2, 2023Ik kon er maar niet in komen. Helaas niet het juiste boek voor mij.
August 2, 2021
Een verhaal dat traag op gang kwam (nog langzamer dan bijvoorbeeld de zeven zussen) en met herhalende gesprekken (als ik niet op vakantie was geweest, en weinig boeken tot mijn beschikking had gehad, weet ik niet of ik had doorgezet). Gelukkig kwam het richting het einde met de spanning en het tempo helemaal goed en ik vond de karakters op zich wel leuk, vooral Bree. Soms een beetje cliché, maar dat mag wel in een liefdesverhaal én inclusief veel walvissen en dolfijnen :) dat helpt ook als je op een walvissenreis bent.
March 19, 2026
Read this book during and just after a trip to NZ. The sense of place is fantastic. The repeated details of working the boats made the story drag in places, but overall, I enjoyed it.
December 11, 2008
A love story, with amazing details of the Milford Sounds, all interweaved to create a magic kiwi tale. All written by a man in England! I'm impressed!
August 29, 2012
Loved this book when I read it, years ago. It's left a deep impression on me which still remains after ten years...
July 8, 2021
My first time reading a book set in my own country. It was was beautifully written and really made the Fjords come to life - so magical. I loved the adventure it took me on, sailing to the Auckland islands, whale watching, birds singing and the beauty of the Sounds. I felt like I back on one of NZs great walks! Not to mention I loved the characters (neither kiwis but from uk and USA) and looking through their eyes on how they see NZ. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 8, 2025
Fantastic book of maori cultural beliefs, societal value, romance and love. Love of the land, the sea and all nature holds, and the love between people. Connection spiritually to nature and tipuna. This book spoke to my heart.
Set in Nzs beautiful southern sounds. I thoroughly loved this book. The best of 24books I read in 2024
Set in Nzs beautiful southern sounds. I thoroughly loved this book. The best of 24books I read in 2024
April 12, 2021
A beautiful story and excellent research. Highly recommended.
This book brought back wonderful memories of my too brief visit to South Island.
This book brought back wonderful memories of my too brief visit to South Island.
August 13, 2023
A great story, with a lot of details on nature and marine life. The end of the book was so exciting that I kept on reading until the end of the book.
February 12, 2025
Prachtig verhaal
April 22, 2025
Hard to put down - good story line, but wish the author had done more research on Maori as was quite out of kilter with general understanding of wairua.
August 28, 2012
I like this story, and I wonder why I haven't read this book before. I bought it years ago at the airport, when I was waiting for my plane to depart. I thought it would be a good book to read at my holiday destination: not too difficult, just a holiday easy-read. I didn't read during that holiday, and not during the years there after. Now I've read it, and I regret I haven't read it earlier.
It's a nice story situated in New-Zealand on Southland. I've checked the names of places mentioned in the book. The story is fiction, but a wonderful description of nature, of plantlife and marine life. It's also a story about economic progress and the need of people to find a living. This is the main conflict in the book. The protagonists want to protect the beautiful nature, their opponents want to make the environment attractive for tourism, without caring about the impact on marine life.
It's also a love story, about the loss of a loved one, the struggle to live on, and to find - after some trouble - new hope and happiness.
I will certainly re-read this book, because I read the last half in a hurry, because I wanted to know, what the end would be, so I skimmed through the lines, not reading all the beautiful descriptions of New-Zealand's nature.
It's a nice story situated in New-Zealand on Southland. I've checked the names of places mentioned in the book. The story is fiction, but a wonderful description of nature, of plantlife and marine life. It's also a story about economic progress and the need of people to find a living. This is the main conflict in the book. The protagonists want to protect the beautiful nature, their opponents want to make the environment attractive for tourism, without caring about the impact on marine life.
It's also a love story, about the loss of a loved one, the struggle to live on, and to find - after some trouble - new hope and happiness.
I will certainly re-read this book, because I read the last half in a hurry, because I wanted to know, what the end would be, so I skimmed through the lines, not reading all the beautiful descriptions of New-Zealand's nature.
April 28, 2014
There's something calm about this book.
It's as though you get hit by waves and just when you think you're sinking- some kind of peace overcomes you and everything becomes just fine.
Building up on John-Cody's life, he's wanted by the FBI- moves to New Zealand, finds the love of his life- and she dies and no one can ever take her place not until Libby comes into town.
I loved how the story started out and gradually built up till the end. It was an even pace read and it even had me empathizing with John, and hoping that he gets to move on again.
I do wish that somehow Pole, got his peace too- because it seems as though he was stuck with a wife who did not love him much and always demanded for things to work out in her own way. I wish he had some peace too.
As for the characters, Bree would grow on you as a twelve year old that's jumping all over the place and saying things as they are.
Libby comes off strong, uncertain at times with Bree- and that's what makes her come off as the mother.
It's a good read.
Loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who feels as though they are sinking deeper and deeper in their despair after losing a loved one.
It's as though you get hit by waves and just when you think you're sinking- some kind of peace overcomes you and everything becomes just fine.
Building up on John-Cody's life, he's wanted by the FBI- moves to New Zealand, finds the love of his life- and she dies and no one can ever take her place not until Libby comes into town.
I loved how the story started out and gradually built up till the end. It was an even pace read and it even had me empathizing with John, and hoping that he gets to move on again.
I do wish that somehow Pole, got his peace too- because it seems as though he was stuck with a wife who did not love him much and always demanded for things to work out in her own way. I wish he had some peace too.
As for the characters, Bree would grow on you as a twelve year old that's jumping all over the place and saying things as they are.
Libby comes off strong, uncertain at times with Bree- and that's what makes her come off as the mother.
It's a good read.
Loved it, and would recommend it to anyone who feels as though they are sinking deeper and deeper in their despair after losing a loved one.
August 28, 2025
Een mix tussen romantiek en het natuurbehoud van de oceanen en specifiek de soorten dolfijnen.
April 11, 2024
Het boek kwam traag op gang met zeer veel details over zeilen, dolfijnen, walvissen en de natuur waardoor de Nieuw-Zeelandse fjorden echt tot leven komen. Eenmaal halverwege het boek bevind je je in een intens en onvergetelijk verhaal over het leven in al zijn facetten. Zeker een aanrader!
August 2, 2010
Als je van Armstrong houdt zeker weer een aanrader :) Leest gewoon weer lekker weg ondanks dat het onderwerp weer wat zwaarder is.
September 17, 2013
Mooi liefdesverhaal, leest heerlijk weg.
January 27, 2014
I love this book.
October 26, 2016
I loved this book I didn't want it to end. I felt like I've been to the Fiordlands NZ on a steel ketch watching dolphins and whales for the past week
October 15, 2019
Such an amazing book! So beautifully written. Sometimes I really wanted the storyline to hurry though (impatient) but it did not make me want to stop reading! I finished it in about 4 days!
April 27, 2017
Ik vond het een leuk en aangenaam boek. Prachtige beschrijvingen van het Zuider eiland in New Sealand.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews