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People of the Whale: A Novel
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

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Author:
Hogan, Linda
Published:
W. W. Norton & Company 2010
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

"With her unparalleled gifts for truth and magic, Linda Hogan reinforces my faith in reading, writing, living." —Barbara Kingsolver


Raised in a remote seaside village, Thomas Witka Just marries Ruth, his beloved since infancy. But an ill-fated decision to fight in Vietnam changes his life forever: cut off from his Native American community, he fathers a child with another woman. When he returns home a hero, he finds his tribe in conflict over the decision to hunt a whale, both a symbol of spirituality and rebirth and a means of survival. In the end, he reconciles his two existences, only to see tragedy befall the son he left behind.

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Subjects
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Fiction
Literature
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Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
10/15/2010
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780393072822
ASIN:
B004AE34PK
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Linda Hogan. (2010). People of the Whale: A Novel. W. W. Norton & Company.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Linda Hogan. 2010. People of the Whale: A Novel. W. W. Norton & Company.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Linda Hogan, People of the Whale: A Novel. W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Linda Hogan. People of the Whale: A Novel. W. W. Norton & Company, 2010.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 17:57:42
Date Updated:
Dec 06, 2020 02:45:59
Last Metadata Check:
Apr 22, 2024 23:10:48
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Jan 30, 2024 17:27:31
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Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
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OverDrive Product Record

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      • value: Son
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      • fileAs: Hogan, Linda
      • bioText: Linda Hogan was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her novel Mean Spirit. Her other honors include an American Book Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She lives in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
      • name: Linda Hogan
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title
People of the Whale
fullDescription

"With her unparalleled gifts for truth and magic, Linda Hogan reinforces my faith in reading, writing, living." —Barbara Kingsolver

Raised in a remote seaside village, Thomas Witka Just marries Ruth, his beloved since infancy. But an ill-fated decision to fight in Vietnam changes his life forever: cut off from his Native American community, he fathers a child with another woman. When he returns home a hero, he finds his tribe in conflict over the decision to hunt a whale, both a symbol of spirituality and rebirth and a means of survival. In the end, he reconciles his two existences, only to see tragedy befall the son he left behind.

reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: Library Journal
      • content: Dream-like. . . . While filled with heartbreaking events, the novel has a life-affirming spirit that makes the journey worthwhile.
      • premium: False
      • source: Publishers Weekly
      • content: Powerful. . . . Hogan employs just the right touch of spiritualism in this engrossing tale.
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        June 16, 2008
        In telling a story of the fictional A'atsika, a Native people of the American West Coast who find their mythical origins in the whale and the octopus, Hogan (Mean Spirit
        ) employs just the right touch of spiritualism in this engrossing tale. When Thomas Witka Just succumbs to peer pressure and joins the army, then is sent to Vietnam, Ruth Small is pregnant with his child. In an attempt to prevent an atrocity, Thomas kills fellow soldiers and deserts, ultimately blending into the Vietnamese culture and fathering a child, Lin, by Ma, a village girl. In the meantime, Ruth gives birth to their son, Marco Polo, who is said to have the same mystical whaling powers of Thomas's grandfather. Years later, following Thomas's return, Dwight, a ne'er-do-well friend of Thomas's, arranges for the tribe to kill a whale and to sell the meat to the Japanese, a plan that will draw in Marco Polo and set up a confrontation between the whole ensemble. Despite the plot's multiple strands, the story flows smoothly, and Hogan comes up with a powerful, romantic crescendo.

      • premium: True
      • source: Library Journal
      • content:

        Starred review from June 15, 2008
        In her remarkable new novel, Hogan (a Pulitzer Prize finalist for "Mean Spirit") explores themes of love and loss among the A'atsika people of Washington State. The story centers on Thomas Just, who was missing in action in Vietnam for many years, and Ruth, the wife he left behind, a strong-willed fisherwoman and the conscience of her tribe. Thomas finally returns to the A'atsika as they prepare for a supposedly traditional whale hunt. But the hunt's results are disastrous, and Thomas is unable to reconnect with anyone, especially Ruth. The A'atsikas' loss of their traditional culture has unexpected parallels with Thomas's Vietnam experiences. Hogan's style is both dreamlike and realistic, with a nonlinear narrative that loops back on itself as more and more is revealed. While filled with heartbreaking events, the novel has a life-affirming spirit that makes the journey worthwhile. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 4/1/08.]Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis

        Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

popularity
20
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shortDescription

"With her unparalleled gifts for truth and magic, Linda Hogan reinforces my faith in reading, writing, living." —Barbara Kingsolver

Raised in a remote seaside village, Thomas Witka Just marries Ruth, his beloved since infancy. But an ill-fated decision to fight in Vietnam changes his life forever: cut off from his Native American community, he fathers a child with another woman. When he returns home a hero, he finds his tribe in conflict over the decision to hunt a whale, both a symbol of spirituality and rebirth and a means of survival. In the end, he reconciles his two existences, only to see tragedy befall the son he left behind.

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bisacCodes
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      • description: Fiction / Literary
      • code: FIC051000
      • description: Fiction / Cultural Heritage
      • code: FIC059000
      • description: FICTION / Indigenous / General (see also Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island or Native American)