Water Sky

By Jean Craighead George

1987

First Published

3.33

Average Rating

212

Number of Pages

6H28M

Audio Length

‘A beautifully written book that addresses the issues of conservation and cultural heritage." (School Library Journal) "A novel imbued with understanding and respect for the rich traditions of Eskimo life." (BCCB) When Lincoln made the long trip from Massachusetts to Barrow, Alaska, the sole purpose was to find his uncle Jack. He thought Vincent Ologak, an Eskimo whaling captain, could tell him where to find him, for Vincent was the man Uncle Jack had planned to see when he went to Alaska to help save the bowhead whale from extinction. But Vincent cannot or will not give Lincoln a straight answer. As far as he is concerned, Lincoln is there for a very different purpose from the one he himself A whale is coming to Lincoln, a whale that will end two years of waiting and suffering for Vincent's people. Nothing in Lincoln's past experience quite prepares him for the whaling camp at Barrow. Here ice is a living presence and the temperature is so cold that spilled water hits the ground as ice balls. Here for the first time he meets young Eskimos-especially Unpik, with whom he falls deeply in lovewhose strong identification with their Eskimo culture leads Lincoln to question his own identity. But above all else it is Vincent Ologak's vision of him that teaches Lincoln more than he has ever learned anywhere before Life in today's New England hasn't prepared Lincoln for the ways of an Alaskan whaling camp. But it's there that he draws strength from an Eskimo captain's vision of him and his connection with Nukik, the whale that gives itself to Lincoln and the people of Barrow. Jean Craighead George blends masterfully observed nature scenes and a wry story of first love in one of her most appealing and moving novels. Jean Craighead George was the author of many beloved and award-winning books, including Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain.

Avg Rating

3.33

Number of Ratings

550

5 STARS

16%

4 STARS

29%

3 STARS

35%

2 STARS

13%

1 STARS

goodreads

Author

Jean Craighead George

Author · 87 books

Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward. The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."