"Whale Song" by Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

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	• Whale Song Cheryl Kaye Tardif Trafford Publishing, 2003 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 47 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An engrossing, powerful story

Only child, star in her parent's crown, Sarah's fairytale life takes a startling and sad turn. Whale Song is beautifully written, and though not an action novel, it is a page turner. The novel is emotionally evocative (I shed tears for Sarah and her companions) but there are many, many heartwarming and encouraging aspects. You quickly become embroiled in the narrator's life, and Sarah's voice is so strong you could believe you are reading a true story. The characters are convincing, engaging and memorable. I found myself thinking about the novel and its "lessons" while driving to work, often in fact. The Native American mysticism was particularly well done and interesting.

The story begins when 11-year-old Sarah, her mother and father move from Wyoming to Vancouver--from the mountains to the sea. Her father is a marine biologist, her mother an artist. Sarah is devastated by the move but soon makes friends with a Native American girl named Goldie and is accepted by Goldie's family and her wise woman grandmother Nana but at school another Native American student teaches Sarah about discrimination and cruelty.

Whale Song follows Sarah as she matures--her tragedies and triumphs--to a satisfying end.

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Mystical Journey

I haven't read a young adult novel since my son was in Middle School and quite honestly I didn't even realize that Cheryl Kaye Tardif's story of a young girl living in Vancouver with her artist mother and marine biologist father fell into this category until I was half way through it and checked out the author's item page on this website. After all Harper Lee's masterpiece "To Kill a Mockingbird" uses the voice of the pre-adolescent Scout to tell her tale set in the American South in the 1960s in the same way that Tardif speaks through her main character Sarah Richardson.

Not that Tardif's novel rivals Lee's classic. That's not to say that it isn't a good coming-of-age narrative, but where Lee's portrait of Articus Finch suggests the noble hero fighting a battle larger than himself for the greater good, Tardif formulates a smaller world which centers not so much on a brave father figure but on the pain of a young girl adjusting to a new school where her race sets her apart as a social pariah. Sarah's angst increases when her beloved mother falls ill and she must come to grips with the potential loss. Whereas Lee communicates a daughter's pride in her father's courage, Tardif goes for the same feel, and if she fails it is only in achieving the overall tightness of the older story. For indeed Sarah's father commands respect too even if his issue focuses on a individual choice rather than a universal failing of society.

Bewildered by a series of events leading to a personal train wreck, Sarah wallows understandably until certain facts become clear. Utilizing a first person narrative technique, the reader experiences Sarah's initial acclimation first-hand under Tardif's very skillful voice. We enjoy her discovery of the mystical Indian legends of the whale and the wolf and await her comprehension of her specific mission.

The younger Sarah successfully emerges as a girl on the brink of her teenaged years. Tardif relays her sense of uncertainty and the ups and downs of triumphs and failures in an adept way that cements her ability to capture the sensibilities of this burgeoning adolescent with great credibility.

Driven by Tardif's strength in creating such a believable character, the story moves along with great readability. Somehow I thought it stalled a little once Sarah's greatest fear becomes actualized but perhaps this lull in the action was meant to illustrate Sarah's confusion over a situation with implications larger than the world she knows. Likewise, the endgame of this novel seems to be rushed, but this seems indigenous to young adult novels where the resolution takes place under the auspices of adulthood.

Bottom line? Cheryl Kaye Tardif writes a most satisfactory story about a young girl's coming-of-age amidst a background that is simultaneously beautiful, mystical and bittersweet. Recommended for all young adults.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

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"Whale Song" by Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif

"Whale Song" is a poignant tale that asks difficult questions - ones that challenge us to look deeply into our own hearts. This is a very well written novel about Sarah, a young girl who moves to Canada from Montana. It's about her family and friends who love her so very much, and the difficult choices and sacrifices that have to be made by them all. Set on Canada's breathtaking Vancouver Island, the whales and other wildlife are as beautiful as the story itself. This is Ms Tardif's "heart book" - the book closest to her heart - and after reading it, it's easy to see why.

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Whale Song

Haunting and sensitive, Whale Song is a compelling read, leaving an impression long after the story ends. I loved it. Five stars

A Compelling, Heartbreaking Story

In the summer of 1977, eleven-year-old Sarah Richardson is filled with trepidation and resentment when her father's new job forces her to leave her home and best friend in Wyoming to relocate in the remote town of Bamfield on Vancouver Island. But these feelings fade when she sees her gorgeous new home overlooking the ocean and befriends and Indian (a term commonly used for First Nations people in 1977) girl named Goldie. Of course, her idyllic summer with her parents and Goldie doesn't last. Once school begins, Sarah endures long, painful lessons about bullying, racial hatred, and family tragedy.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif's WHALE SONG is an unusual mystery. Although the story opens with an adult Sarah reflecting back on the summer that changed her life, she eases into eleven-year-old Sarah's point of view as the story unfolds, turning the book into a young adult novel. But then grownup Sarah slides briefly back into the story with ominous foreshadowing about events she wished she'd seen coming.

The other unique aspect is that the mystery doesn't occur until two thirds into the book. Certainly, the reader feels tension building among main characters and a grim situation inevitably spiraling out of control. But death, a police investigation, and murder charge don't occur until the reader knows the Richardson family so well that we feel their anguish. Some mystery fans might loathe the pacing of events, yet it's important to understand that mystery is only one facet of this multi-layered story. Crime might not be center stage in WHALE SONG, however, it's essential to the story.

Cross-genre novels are hard to pigeonhole, and this one will be a challenge for librarians and booksellers. WHALE SONG is an elegantly written, heartbreaking blend of friendships lost and gained, family tragedy, spirituality, death, guilt, punishment, and forgiveness. This is a lot to incorporate into one novel, but Tardif does it beautifully in a mere 199 pages. If you want something different in a mystery, WHALE SONG is a compelling story you won't forget any time soon.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

A shocking tragedy leaves Sarah Richardson with partial amnesia. Captivated by Native Indian legends told by a wise Nootka grandmother, Sarah begins her journey for the truth hidden amongst her lost memories.

Torn by nightmares and visions of a yellow-eyed wolf, Sarah must come face to face with her fears and her memories. Aided by the creatures of the Earth and by the killer whales that call to her in the night, Sarah discovers that 'forgiveness sets you free'.

Whale Song is a sensationally emotional coming-of-age story, set in the late 1970's and beyond, about a young American girl growing up on Vancouver Island.

A heartbreaking story of a tragedy that nearly destroys a young girl's future, Whale Song is a revelation of truth, love and forgiveness.

If you listen closely, you can almost hear the Whale Song...

To visit the author's web page, please go to: www.cherylktardif.com/events.htm.

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About the Cover:

The painting used on the front cover of Whale Song is called 'Sanctuary', and was painted by artist, David Miller, who lives in California, USA.

"David C. Miller is an internationally acclaimed marine artist who's work has graced the covers of everything from greeting cards to jigsaw puzzles, but his best work has always been done on lexan and canvas. His use of acrylics have earned him acclaim from art critics as well as environmentalists. David's personal pursuit has always been that of environmental preservation. His portfolio includes commissioned works for such prestigious foundations as Sea Turtles of the World, an environmental group protecting endangered sea turtles, and The Franklin Mint, part of the proceeds from the porcelain heirloom collectors plates goes to the Save The Dolphin program. His work is also shown in many prestigious Aquariums across the nation...David's art is shown in scores of galleries across the United States, Japan, Australia, and Europe."

Check out David's website at: www.mauiarts.com.

The full cover was designed by Charles Biddiscombe (guerilladesign@yahoo.com), a talented graphic artist, residing in Edmonton.

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