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.

About the Author
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.

Reviews
"People of the Whale is pure magic-and pure truth. It's as perfect as a smooth stone." -- Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
"Hauntingly wise, beautifully written, and fiercely tender, People of the Whale goes between realms of animal and human, between Native and non-Native, between the radiant world as it once was and still might become. This book is a bridge, a revelation, an open heart." -- Brenda Peterson, author of Build Me an Ark: A Life with Animals
"This book brings you deep into the realm of a people who have ancient, complex ties to the natural world...through a compelling and insistent narrative." -- Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education
"This is a fine story that embraces the worthy subjects of modern American Indians, the Vietnam War, and the importance of family." -- Rocky Mountain News
"Powerful...Hogan employs just the right touch of spiritualism in this engrossing tale." -- Publishers Weekly
"Dream-like...While filled with heartbreaking events, the novel has a life-affirming spirit that makes the journey worthwhile." -- Library Journal
"Deeply ecological, original, and spellbinding, Hogan ascends to an even higher plane in this hauntingly beautiful novel of the hidden dimensions of life, and all that is now imperiled." -- Booklist
"With her unparalleled gifts for truth and magic, Linda Hogan reinforces my faith in reading, writing, living." -- Barbara Kingsolver



Book Information
ISBN 9780393335347
Author Linda Hogan
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint WW Norton & Co
Publisher WW Norton & Co
Weight(grams) 298g
Dimensions(mm) 211mm * 142mm * 20mm