A Whale of a Tale

Review
by

Rosalie Warren

8/3/11

The hero of Herm’s Secret is called Caspian and he’s a prince among heroes: young, strong, good-looking, an amazing swimmer, empathetic, sensitive and kind. To say more would give too much away. Enough to confess that I soon fell in love with him, and remain so.
     Herm’s Secret is a thrilling tale that’s well and truly different from anything I’ve read before. It begins with the cruel, tragic death of members of a family of whales. We then meet Lori, a thirteen-year-old Canadian girl about to discover a terrifying secret of her own. She is summoned by a mysterious inner voice, calling her to the tiny island of Herm, neighbour to Guernsey in the English Channel. Together with her father, aunt and brothers, Lori sets out on the adventure of her life.
     Herm’s Secret has, I believe, a number of intermingling themes. It’s the story of a girl reaching puberty, about to undergo the frightening ‘change’ that will open up a new world to her, if she can find the courage to face it. It’s about family love and loyalty and what happens when these things go wrong. And it’s about whales – those intelligent, beautiful mammals with whom we have so much in common. It confronts us with deep questions of how to live alongside our fellow creatures on earth (and at sea). It shows the possibility of understanding and cooperation between species in a way that will bring joy to your heart as well as reminding you of our responsibilities.
     And finally – the illustrations by Joy Chan are breathtaking. Generous in detail, they are a perfect complement to the text. I would have loved them as a child and I love them now.
     The pace of Herm’s Secret never lets up. You will ride the wave from Lori’s initial summons until it crashes to a satisfying conclusion on a distant shore. I now have a better idea of what I’m hearing when the sea calls me from far away, to stand on its edge, cavort in its shallows and listen to its songs.

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Rosalie Warren is the author of ' Charity's Child', ' Low Tide Lunan Bay' and, most recently, ' Coping with Chloe' - a young fiction title published by Phoenix Yard

Rosalie's Website

www.rosalie-warren.co.uk