Deane Louise’s Comments (group member since Apr 07, 2020)

Deane Louise’s comments from the Pelion Branch Library - Spine Crackers Book Club group.

I have enjoyed the imagery and use of language in this book. It has taken me a bit to get used to her repeating the same scene through different people, but it has been an efficient way to get to know the characters. I’m not sure how else it could have been done in so few pages. It was only a problem for me because I prefer a chronological flow to a story and when events repeat over and over in order to give the perspective from different people, it throws me.

I have enjoyed the story around Longfellow and the connections to the “current day” story. I did feel it was overly strongly biased against the South, but having lived much of my life in the Boston area, could understand their distanced view. I felt the author’s personal views came through on this -and her ignorance/intolerance of the Southern perspective.

I also enjoyed reading a book set in several areas I have also lived. Fond memories.

I’d like to suggest the book: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins when we start looking at more books to read next year.

The last sentence of my previous comment was missing a word and it got submitted by accident before I finished.

I would like to learn without harming the animals & planet.

I don’t think Montgomery addresses the issue at all. When she talked about taking animals out of the wild, it felt to me like she was talking about picking flowers. Some survived the trek to their new location, & some didn’t. People go in search of these specific animals, but only a few survive the move.

Then the exhibitors train the animals so they’ll behave a certain way for the audience. I love seeing the animals in a circus, but I hate that these magnificent animals have been reduced to entertainment for the people. We expect them to do our bidding when we want and how we want, treat them miserably, and then complain when they attack us or won’t perform? Shame on us.

I was struck by her comment about how an octopus wouldn’t be put on display until it reached a level of training. It never occurred to me that fish in the aquarium were trained.

I have mixed feelings about captive wild animals. While I appreciate the conservation and education aspect of having wild animals in a captured environment, I feel sorry for the animals. However, without breeding programs & protections, many animals would be extinct, and may still go extinct despite protective measures.

We have so much to learn about ourselves, wildlife, and our planet. I would like to do it without destroying what we are learning about.

Her descriptions of the personalities of all the sea life I found novel. I don’t think many people would have considered it possible for species so different from ourselves to have human-like personalities. She really brings them into a new light and the concept interests me. I’ll definitely take pause before eating seafood, especially octopus. I’d like to learn more now that I’ve read this book.

I’ve always been enchanted with aquariums and aquatic life. This book has enchanted me and while I’m still listening to the audio version, I’m enjoying her descriptions of the different sea animals she comes to know. I have found this a fascinating and very interesting book. The Boston aquarium was always a favorite and enchanting place for me and now I want to go back.