Book overview
'A beautifully written book that addresses the issues of conservation and cultural heritage." (School Library Journal)
"A novel imbued with understanding and respect for the rich traditions of Eskimo life." (BCCB)
When Lincoln made the long trip from Massachusetts to Barrow, Alaska, the sole purpose was to find his uncle Jack. He thought Vincent Ologak, an Eskimo whaling captain, could tell him where to find him, for Vincent was the man Uncle Jack had planned to see when he went to Alaska to help save the bowhead whale from extinction.
But Vincent cannot or will not give Lincoln a straight answer. As far as he is concerned, Lincoln is there for a very different purpose from the one he himself imagines: A whale is coming to Lincoln, a whale that will end two years of waiting and suffering for Vincent's people.
Nothing in Lincoln's past experience quite prepares him for the whaling camp at Barrow. Here ice is a living presence and the temperature is so cold that spilled water hits the ground as ice balls. Here for the first time he meets young Eskimos-especially Unpik, with whom he falls deeply in lovewhose strong identification with their Eskimo culture leads Lincoln to question his own identity. But above all else it is Vincent Ologak's vision of him that teaches Lincoln more than he has ever learned anywhere before
Life in today's New England hasn't prepared Lincoln for the ways of an Alaskan whaling camp. But it's there that he draws strength from an Eskimo captain's vision of him and his connection with Nukik, the whale that gives itself to Lincoln and the people of Barrow.
Jean Craighead George blends masterfully observed nature scenes and a wry story of first love in one of her most appealing and moving novels. Jean Craighead George was the author of many beloved and award-winning books, including Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain.
