Songs of the Humpback Whale
- Songs of the Humpback Whale
infobox Book |
name = Songs of the Humpback Whale
image_caption =
author = Jodi Picoult
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
genre = Family saga novel
publisher = Allen & Unwin
release_date = 1991
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 352 pp
isbn = ISBN 0743431014
"Songs of the Humpback Whale" (1991) is the debut novel of Jodi Picoult. It is about a woman who chooses to leave her emotionally abusive and distant husband behind in favor of driving across the country from San Diego, California to live with her brother in Massachusetts. Her teenage daughter chooses to come with her.
Plot summary
Jane Jones, a speech pathologist, has been married to Oliver for almost twenty years. Together, they have a teenage daughter named Rebecca. Oliver, a world-renowned marine biologist, has a history of being emotionally abusive and unavilable. After an argument that culminated in Jane slapping Oliver, Jane calls her older brother, Joley, who is living and working on an apple orchard in Massachusetts. Through a series of letters, he guides her across the country until they are reunited.
The orchard is owned by Sam, who employs and lodges his friend Hadley, as well as Jane's brother Joley. Soon, Jane and Sam begin an affair, and a relationship develops between Rebecca and Hadley. This is controversial, because Hadley is 25 and Rebecca is 15.
Eventually, Oliver is able to track Jane and Rebecca to the orchard. He arrives there with the intention of bringing them back to San Diego. However, Rebecca, afraid of being separated from Hadley, runs away with him to his mother's house. They are discovered one morning on top of a mountain and confronted by Oliver, along with Sam and Joley. Hadley falls from the mountain to his death. Sick with pneumonia from spending the night outside, Rebecca has no choice but to return to the farm.
Confronted with the consequences of her actions, Jane has to decide what is better for her and her daughter.
Narrative style
"Songs of the Humpback Whale" is told in five voices. It uses the alternating narrator style that Picoult employs in "My Sister's Keeper," in which characters take turns narrating chapters.
ee also
*Spousal abuse
*Domestic violence
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Humpback Whale — Taxobox name = Humpback whale MSW3 Cetacea|id=14300027] status = LC status system = iucn3.1 status ref =IUCN2008|assessors=Reilly, S.B., Bannister, J.L., Best, P.B., Brown, M., Brownell Jr., R.L., Butterworth, D.S., Clapham, P.J., Cooke, J.,… … Wikipedia
Humpback whale — Humpback whale[1] … Wikipedia
humpback whale — a large whalebone whale of the genus Megaptera having long narrow flippers, and noted for its habit of arching deeply as it dives: once abundant in coastal waters, it is now rare but its numbers are increasing. [1715 25] * * * Long finned baleen… … Universalium
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary — The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is one of the world s most important whale habitats, encompassing 1400 square miles in the waters of the Hawaiian Islands. It was designated by United States Congress on November 4,… … Wikipedia
Whale song — is the sound made by whales to communicate. The word song is used in particular to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales, notably the humpback. This is included with or in comparison with music, and … Wikipedia
The Voyage of the Mimi — Genre Educational Created by Bank Street College of Education Country of origin USA Language(s) English No. of episode … Wikipedia
Harvesting the Heart (novel) — infobox Book | name = Harvesting the Heart image caption = author = Jodi Picoult country = United States language = English genre = Novel publisher = Viking release date = 1993 media type = Print ( Hardcover Paperback ) pages = isbn = ISBN 0 613… … Wikipedia
List of whale songs — Whale song is the sound made by whales to communicate. The word song is used in particular to describe the pattern of regular and predictable sounds made by some species of whales (notably the humpback) in a way that is reminiscent of human… … Wikipedia
The Bermuda Depths — Infobox Film name = The Bermuda Depths | caption = original movie poster imdb rating = writer = William Overgard Arthur Rankin Jr. starring = Leigh McCloskey Carl Weathers Connie Sellecca Julie Woodson Burl Ives Ruth Attaway director = Tom Kotani … Wikipedia
Fin whale — Finback redirects here. For the U.S. submarines of this name, see USS Finback. For the fictional character, see Finback (Transformers). Fin whale[1] A fin whale surfaces in the … Wikipedia
