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Interviews | October 6, 2009

Jill Owens: IMG The Powells.com Interview with Margaret Atwood



margaretatwoodIn her 2003 novel Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood describes a future after humanity had been almost entirely wiped out by a plague. Jimmy, aka Snowman, lives... Continue »
  1. $18.86 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    The Year of the Flood

    Margaret Atwood

Grayson

by Lynne Cox

Grayson Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

This captivating bestseller tells the true story of a miraculous encounter between a teenaged girl and a baby whale off the coast of California. It was the dark of early morning; Lynne was swimming her last half mile back to the pier after a long workout when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; whatever it was felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body.

In fact, it was a baby gray whale following alongside her. Lynne quickly realized that if she swam back to the pier, the young calf would follow her onto shore and die from collapsed lungs. On the other hand, if Lynne didn't find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death.

Something so enormous — the mother whale would be at least fifty feet long — suddenly seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. How could Lynne possibly find her?

This is the story — part mystery, part magical tale — of what happened.

Review:

"This book is moving and thrilling in its simple language as Cox laments the inadequacy of words to express profound feelings but demonstrates the exhilaration of the effort." Booklist

Review:

"An inspirational, almost spiritual read." Kirkus Reviews

Review:

"A moving and memorable story, filled with dramatic tension and loving descriptions of the sea and all the wondrous creatures it holds. Grayson is a celebration of the natural world in all its glory, and the deep and lasting effect it can have on us humans if only we pause to notice." John Grogan, author of Marley & Me

Review:

"Lynne Cox is a master of story telling: her prose captures the vast movements and deep mysteries of the ocean and the creatures for whom it is home. Everyone who reads Grayson will be enchanted and profoundly moved. Grayson is a powerful voice for conservation." Jane Goodall, Ph.D.

Review:

"Grayson would be compelling enough as a fable about a young woman and a lost whale. The fact that it's true makes the story wondrous, and unforgettable." Carl Hiaasen

Review:

"[A] simple but suspenseful narrative....This true adventure is as breathtaking as the exotic underwater life that the author describes in vivid detail." School Library Journal

Synopsis:

One dark morning while the 17-year-old author was training for a long-distance swim, she became aware that something was swimming with her — a baby gray whale that had become separated from its mother. This is the magical, mysterious tale of how Cox miraculously reunited mother and baby.

About the Author

Lynne Cox has set records all over the world for open-water swimming. She was named a Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and honored with a lifetime achievement award from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of Swimming to Antarctica, which won an Alex Award. She lives in Los Alamitos, California.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Kestermonster, June 4, 2009 (view all comments by Kestermonster)
Cox's notion that strong positive thinking will concur all prevails in this beautiful story of a lost baby whale. The author never really divulges how taxing physically the ordeal must have been. Have you ever swam in 50 degree water?? Its like torture. I think in her shoes (or swim suit!!) we would have all tried to do the same, but it took a truly special person to help Grayson. A touching, quick and easy read ideal for anyone needing a pick-me-up. A+
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deep thinker, April 13, 2008 (view all comments by deep thinker)
How can one have the endurance to swim continuously in the ocean for three hours, and then spend another several hours swimming beside a baby whale to help find its mother? Lynne Cox, that's who. The descriptions of her experience giving of herself to assist a baby whale places the reader right there with her in the cool coastal waters, experiencing the spiritual connections between herself and the sea creatures all around her. Cox's writing, and Grayson, will stay with with me for a long time.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780156034678
Author:
Cox, Lynne
Publisher:
Harvest Books
Subject:
Women
Subject:
Marine Life
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
BIO026000
Subject:
Swimming
Subject:
Wildlife rescue
Subject:
Swimmers -- United States.
Subject:
Cox, Lynne - Childhood and youth
Edition Description:
Harvest
Publication Date:
February 2008
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
153
Dimensions:
776x618x55 47

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