I read so much about whales after this book (I know this is not the main thrust of the novel but it is such a fascinating topic that I read lots, researched the author notes and got a copy of the BlackFish documentary which looks at how these wonderful creatures are kept in the sea parks) A story about motherhood and protecting those you love – whether you are a human or an animal, the instinct is one and the same. It is well worth looking further into the inspiration behind the novel on Orcas and the famous Alexandra Morton who studied and listened to whales, writing a book entitled ‘Listening to Whales’ who worked in the Broughton Archipelago. You could clearly hear the parents calling out to their children: babies screeching back.” “After chasing down the pod with planes and speedboats and seal bombs, the hunters dropped nets and herded the frightened animals against the Puget Sound Shoreline. The descriptions of the Orca whales and the ways in which these creatures live, feed, swim and struggle to survive is beautifully and lyrically captured. “There will be Alaskan tides and icy currents rushing off glaciers.

For a moment I think about the life that teams under that surface. The sun is brighter in this south facing room – I look through the enormous windows flexing to the horizon. You can almost taste the salt on your tongue as you read…. The writing takes you there so cleverly and is so evocative of the archipelago and the sea mist. The setting – the location of this novel is as central a part of the novel as the story of Kali and her quest to find out the truth.

Listening to whales alexandra morton