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Mary McCallum's fine debut novel The Blue is about a woman living in an isolated community at the ends of the earth trying to make the best of a life that has at its core a secret grief. It is a time when men nursed their own griefs from the Great War and the Depression, and didn't know that soon the world would make demands on them and their sons again. It is 1938. The place is Arapawa Island, Tory Channel, where for three months of the year, these men leave behind their farms and battle the elements to run down and kill migrating whales with small fast boats and explosive harpoons. This is not the time or place to dwell on the past, either for these men or for Lilian. However, the return of Lilian's troubled son sets in train events which force what happened 12 years before to come out into the light. The Blue powerfully evokes life in the isolated whaling community and there is a feel of high authenticity in the detail of whale chases, harpooning, flensing and processing. There are also dramatic storytelling surprises, which are deftly handled by this fine new writer and indicate a major new literary talent.
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- PublisherPenguin Books
- ISBN 10 0143007238
- ISBN 13 9780143007234
- BindingPaperback
- Rating
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The Blue
Published by
Penguin Group New Zealand, Limited
(2007)
ISBN 10: 0143007238
ISBN 13: 9780143007234
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Paperback
First Edition
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Book Description Paperback. 1st Edition. Lilian lives in an isolated island community at the mouth of Tory Channel trying to make the best of a life that has at its core a secret grief. It is 1938 and for three months of every year the men take to the sea to hunt whales with fast boats and explosive harpoons. This year, the whales aren't the only ones returning Lilian's troubled son Micky has come home too. In this rugged, unsettled world, things are not always what they seem.'The Blue creates in glowing detail both a community and a place, and tells a richly atmospheric and suspenseful story. It's a novel of delicacy when it treats the interior life of its characters but it also has absolute confidence when summoning the physical world. This is an involving, rewarding book made with care and skill and gusto.' Damien Wilkins'The Blue is a fine piece of work which I immensely enjoyed reading. It is imaginatively conceived, cleverly structured and written in an elegant and considered style, often with great beauty in its phrasing and imagery.' Fiona Kidman This is a used book in good condition, meaning that it shows signs of wear but has no major defects. Most of our images are sourced automatically, so the book cover shown might be different to the edition we have in stock. Seller Inventory # 18163937
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