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Soundings

Journeys in the Company of Whales

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Soundings

By: Doreen Cunningham
Narrated by: Doreen Cunningham
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About this listen

From Mexico to the Arctic ice, grey whale mothers swim with their calves. Following them, by bus, train and ferry, are Doreen and her toddler Max, in pursuit of a wild hope. Doreen first visited Alaska as a young journalist reporting on climate change among indigenous whaling communities. There, drawn deeply into an Iñupiaq family, she joined the bowhead whale hunt, watching for polar bears under the never-ending light. Years later, now a single mother living in a hostel, Doreen embarks on this extraordinary journey: following the grey whale migration back to the Arctic, where greys and bowheads meet at the melting apex of our planet.

WINNER OF THE RSL GILES ST AUBYN AWARD

ONE OF SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE'S TEN BEST BOOKS ABOUT TRAVEL OF 2022

©2022 Doreen Cunningham (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Animals Biological Sciences Environmentalists & Naturalists Outdoors & Nature Professionals & Academics Science Polar Region

Critic Reviews

"Soundings got under my skin. I finished it in tears." (Amy Liptrott)

"Beautiful...justifies its place alongside nature writing classics such as H Is for Hawk." (New Statesman, Best Books of 2022)

"What a voice! What a book!" (Charles Foster, author of Being a Human)
All stars
Most relevant  
I finished listening to this book today with the near constant threat of tears. At times I had to give in and them free. Partially, because Doreen felt like a kindred spirit from the beginning. Hearing the story in her own words was absolutely magical. As someone who has often felt on the outside, both as a parent and otherwise, I could relate so much to who she is and her journey. Not just as a mother, but also as a writer, lover, mother, daughter, activist, environmentalist, and survivor.

It was likewise a special experience because she tells the story in such a brilliant and vivid way: weaving the narrative through time and place and building to a satisfying climax. Her writing is genuine, descriptive, and immursive. When she describes singing while standing on the ice to only have a whale surface at the sound of her voice, I feel like I am there, too. In fact, I frankly do not want to be anywhere else

I get the impression from some reviews that the reviewer just wanted a nice story about whales. Thankfully, it is far richer and more intimate than I could have imagined when downloaded the title.
For any who say it is not about whales, the creatures (and her childhood horse) do, in fact, permeate the entire tale both literally and as symbols displaying deeper meaning.

At one point in her tale, Doreen opens up to a welcoming stranger about how she wants her sons to see the grey whales so desperately. She wants him to see their resilience and strength, especially in how they made the long journey to the quiet corner of the world they found themselves in. If the whales made it, she and Max could also make it.

I hope that at some point Doreen was able to realise that even if Max could not see the whales, he would have learnt all these things from his own mammal mother. A truly courageous woman who I feel privileged decided to share her unique story with us.

Just wonderful

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.