When the Whales Leave (Seedbank) Paperback – March 10, 2020

Though written over 45 years ago, this is a very timely story. Simply put, man needs to remember that s/he is part of nature, not its ruler. This has been translated into English from its original Russian into a beautiful and lyrical story.

Instantly became one of my favorite books. Very touching and thought provoking.

It was somewhat like a fairy tale. Just ok but I loved his other book

When the Whales Leave is set in Russia’s far north Arctic region of Uelen.In Part One, Nau is a young girl when she sees a majestic whale and falls in love with him. Reu, the whale, also falls in love with Nau. If he doesn’t return to the water ‘before the last ray of the sun is gone’ he must stay on land forever. And that is what he chooses to do. Together they have children—in both whale form and in human form. Nau will always be remembered in her community as the person who joined the land and the sea together.In Part Two, the villages are tired of old Nau’s outrageous stories of her youth as the wife of a whale and her stories about her whale children. It’s nothing but a myth, they say. Part Three is about the generation of Armagirgin, the grandson of Giru.With passing generations, change is inevitable as a nation’s heritage becomes more and more distant and people, over time, become masters of the wild. This opens the debate about whether this is a strength or a weakness.This is an interesting generational tale told in the style of indigenous story-telling. It is gentle and mystical, with themes of heritage, curiosity about distant lands, animal-human relationships, ego, duty, and responsibility. Written 45 years ago, it is still relevant in today’s times. I like the way it is written ‘like a song’ and, in parts, like the ocean’s tidal waves. I like the development of characters, especially Nau, the first voice of warm-hearted wisdom as she influences the men of multiple generations.