- Description
- Details
In The Whale People, young Atlin must one day succeed his father Nit-gass, a great whaling chief of the Hotsath people. The boy trains for his role with the mixture of yearning and apprehension experienced by every youth racing toward adulthood - except that in Atlin's case, his whole community is depending on his success.
With lean, sure-footed prose, Haig-Brown captures the tangled emotions of adolescence, and in the process conveys a vivid portrait of pre-Columbian life on the West Coast. Never preachy or condescending, The Whale People is richly furnished with the material and spiritual mainstays of its characters: canoes, harpoons, animals and "tumanos," the personal magic a great whaler and leader must possess.
"Timeless" is a term too freely bandied about, but seldom has a story so deftly married the moment with the millennia. Written 40 years ago - it was named Book of the Year for Children by the Canadian Library Association in 1964 - it could be set 400 years ago, yet there is not one quaint or dated sentence in it.
"...it will be especially enjoyed by boys looking for an enthralling adventure."
-Linda Irvine, Resource Links
–Resource Links
"I am in awe of the beautiful way Haig-Brown communicates a balance of nature and humankind, a dance of respect and wonder; involving all creatures."
-Lian Goodall, The Guelph Mercury
–The Guelph Mercury
"...timeless tale..."
-Ron MacIsaac, Lower Island NEWS
–Lower Island NEWS
Harbour Publishing
ISBN: 9781550172775
Paperback / softback
5.25 in x 8.0 in - 206 pp
Publication Date: 28/03/2003
BISAC Subject(s): JUV001000-JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General, JUV016160-JUVENILE FICTION / Historical / Canada / General, JUV000000-JUVENILE FICTION / General
Description
In The Whale People, young Atlin must one day succeed his father Nit-gass, a great whaling chief of the Hotsath people. The boy trains for his role with the mixture of yearning and apprehension experienced by every youth racing toward adulthood - except that in Atlin's case, his whole community is depending on his success.
With lean, sure-footed prose, Haig-Brown captures the tangled emotions of adolescence, and in the process conveys a vivid portrait of pre-Columbian life on the West Coast. Never preachy or condescending, The Whale People is richly furnished with the material and spiritual mainstays of its characters: canoes, harpoons, animals and "tumanos," the personal magic a great whaler and leader must possess.
"Timeless" is a term too freely bandied about, but seldom has a story so deftly married the moment with the millennia. Written 40 years ago - it was named Book of the Year for Children by the Canadian Library Association in 1964 - it could be set 400 years ago, yet there is not one quaint or dated sentence in it.
"...it will be especially enjoyed by boys looking for an enthralling adventure."
-Linda Irvine, Resource Links
–Resource Links
"I am in awe of the beautiful way Haig-Brown communicates a balance of nature and humankind, a dance of respect and wonder; involving all creatures."
-Lian Goodall, The Guelph Mercury
–The Guelph Mercury
"...timeless tale..."
-Ron MacIsaac, Lower Island NEWS
–Lower Island NEWS
Details
Harbour Publishing
ISBN: 9781550172775
Paperback / softback
5.25 in x 8.0 in - 206 pp
Publication Date: 28/03/2003
BISAC Subject(s): JUV001000-JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General, JUV016160-JUVENILE FICTION / Historical / Canada / General, JUV000000-JUVENILE FICTION / General