The Whaler's Daughter

by Jerry Mikorenda

Overview

In 1910, twelve-year-old Savannah lives with her widowed father on a whaling station in New South Wales, Australia. For generations, the Dawson family has carried on a very unusual way of life there. They use orcas to help them hunt whales. But Savannah believes the orcas hunted something else—her older brothers, who died mysteriously while fishing. Haunted by their deaths, Savannah wants to become a whaler to prove to her father that she’s good enough to carry on the family legacy and avenge her slain brothers. Meeting an aboriginal boy, Figgie, changes that. Figgie helps Savannah to hone her whaling skills and teaches her about the Law of the Bay. When she is finally able to join the crew, Savannah learns just how dangerous the whole business is. A whale destroys her boat and Savannah sinks into the shark-infested waters. That’s when the mysterious spirit orca Jungay returns to rescue her, and she vows to protect the creatures. That vow tests her mettle when the rapacious owner of a fishing fleet captures the orca pod and plans to slaughter them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781646030705
Publisher:	Regal House Publishing
Publication date:	07/24/2021
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	860L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jerry Mikorenda’s biography America’s First Freedom Rider: Elizabeth Jennings, Chester A. Arthur, and the Early Fight for Civil Rights was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2020. His short stories have appeared in Cowboy Jamboree, BULL, Gravel Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among other magazines. His nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Newsday, The Boston Herald, and the Encyclopedia of New York City. The Whaler’s Daughter is his first novel.

Editorial Reviews

"Jerry Mikorenda’s first novel for young adults, The Whaler’s Daughter, ticks all the boxes: a fascinating saga that takes place in a faraway place and time featuring a courageous and ambitious young heroine who aspires to more. Twelve-year-old Savannah Dawson’s efforts to earn a place on her father’s whaling boat at the turn of the twentieth century in Australia will inspire twenty-first-century readers to hold fast in their quest to attain their dreams. A rollicking good story!" —Karen Dionne, award-winning bestselling author of The Wicked Sister


"In The Whaler’s Daughter, main character Savannah Dawson’s engaging honesty and rollicking energy sweep readers up in this coming-of-age adventure. Jerry Mikorenda’s YA novel debut delivers a touching, funny, sometimes gritty, always heartfelt ride." —A. M. Jenkins, author of the Delacorte Prize-winning novel Breaking Boxes and the Printz Honor Book Repossessed 


"What if Moby Dick were turned inside out? The Whaler’s Daughter brings a girl and a pod of blackfish—orcas—together in a dance of vengeance and takes them to a place of hope. You’ll fall in love with Savannah Dawson, a mashup of Scout Finch and Kahu Paikea Apirana, the heroine of Whale Rider." —Elizabeth Gaffney, author of When the World was Young, and host of The 24-Hour Room

"In 1910 New South Wales, 12-year-old Savannah has only one aim in life—to join her father on the whaling boats, using orcas to drive the hunt. To her disappointment, he aims to keep her safely ashore after losing his two sons to a mysterious boating accident, but Savannah has plans of her own. Readers are quickly drawn into this episodic chronicle of community, with its unique characters and histories, including the Aboriginal people among whom Savannah lives. Her best friend, Figgie, provides life-path support and a sweet first romance, and she also finds strength in Aboriginal beliefs that stoke the magic present in Savannah's relationship with an orca pod that she adopts as family. Mikorenda creates authentic characters who carry the story's mix of humorous and meaningful moments as change comes to their community, along with revelations and understanding. His writing style successfully captures a period and place on the precipice of the modern world, and middle-grade readers will appreciate the glossary, which brings greater depth to the language used." —Booklist 

From the Publisher

06/04/2021

Gr 7 Up—Savannah wants nothing more than to become a whaler and prove to her father she has what it takes to carry on the family legacy. They work with orcas to hunt whales, but Savannah believes the orcas are behind the deaths of her brothers, who haunt her. After Savannah joins the crew, thanks to the help of an Aboriginal boy named Figgie and her own near-death experience, things begin to change. The mysterious spirit orca, Jungay, returns to rescue her. Savannah vows to protect the orcas from the business she is learning is more dangerous and complicated than she initially thought. At times the novel, set in 1910 New South Wales, Australia, can be tricky to follow given the plethora of characters. However, Savannah's coming-of-age story is intriguing and will open many teens' eyes to a world they're unfamiliar with. The narrative tackles death---of humans and animals alike. There are some lighter moments to offset the difficult ones. Other than Figgie and his uncle, who are described as Aboriginal, the race of the characters isn't noted. VERDICT An additional purchase.—Amanda Borgia, Uniondale P.L., NY

School Library Journal

2021-05-19
In pre–World War I Australia, 12-year-old Savannah Dawson wants to be a whaler like her father.

She knows whaling is in her blood, however, as a girl, she is stuck as a cook’s helper. Given the chance, she would gladly follow in her father’s footsteps even though that is how both her brothers lost their lives. Her mother has also passed away, and her absence is palpable. Through her new friend, Figgie, an Indigenous boy whose real name is Calagun—Savannah renames him after an ineffectual attempt to pronounce it—she learns about Indigenous beliefs positioning orcas as the guardians of the Earth and the need to live in harmony with nature. As she comprehends the balance between whaling and the beasts of the deep, she has increasingly cryptic dreams. Meanwhile, industrialization is encroaching thanks to wealthy American investor Jacob Bittermen, who wants to introduce factory processes to whaling. Savannah, who is White by default, is a well-developed, three-dimensional character who starts off only caring about her own goals but grows through her friendships. Whaling terms and Australian slang add atmosphere and pull readers deeper into the colorful world. Unfortunately, the Indigenous characters feed into tropes of mystical guides. Figgie is not as well rounded as Savannah; his actions support her journey of self-discovery, but apart from that, he does not appear to have a purpose in the story.

A strong sense of place and an appealing protagonist cannot overcome outdated stereotypes of Indigenous people. (list of abbreviations, glossary) (Historical fiction. 12-14)

Kirkus Reviews