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White Dolphin by Gill Lewis (view source)
Revision as of 15:54, 26 April 2012
, 15:54, 26 April 2012no edit summary
Somehow, these two are thrown together more and more, and when they find beached dolphin calf on the beach, a friendship begins to develop. Together, they set out to find out what happened to Kara's mother and to save the town's beautiful reef bay from pillage by commercial dredgers.
As with her debut novel, ]][[Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis|Sky Hawk]] Lewis draws parallels between the struggles her characters face and the struggles that go on in the natural world. Angel, the beached dolphin calf that Kara finds on the beach, has been separated from her mother just as Kara has, and is suffering terribly because of it, as Kara is. Miss Penluna, the odd old lady, tells Kara she must listen to the dolphins and she's right - but the message they have for her is not how to find her mother. It's how to move on without her. It's a hard lesson, but a necessary one.
I loved Kara. She is spiky and impulsive but also fiercely loyal. She finds it difficult to open up with people but is completely open to the wonders of nature. And when called upon, she shows huge reserves of courage. And the reader will be rooting her straight from the impact of the novel's first scene, as she sits, isolated, lonely and bullied, defacing the school Bible. Felix is a similar character. He has cerebral palsy and he hates to be pitied. And so he pushes potential friends away. But he too is loyal and brave. And he never gives up.