The lost whale by Hannah Gold. Illus. by Levi Pinfold

Author Hannah Gold, who wrote the prize-winning novel, The Last Bear in 2021, has once again written another compelling and thoughtful story. The Lost Whale is centred around a young, troubled boy, a grey whale and finding one’s strengths in times of adversity. This new publication, complete with beautifully illustrated pages and a gorgeous embossed dust jacket, is a wonderful story where the author has cleverly combined her knowledge of grey whales with a powerful narrative involving family, mental illness, and survival.

Eleven-year-old Rio is sent from Britain to California to live with his estranged grandmother when his mother finally understands she needs professional help to deal with her mental illness. Rio is both taciturn and angry when he meets his grandmother Fran and rejects her efforts at building a relationship until one day Fran gives Rio a box of items belonging to his mother. Amongst the items are drawings of whales, in particular a drawing labelled White Beak. Right from the onset of arriving in Ocean Bay, Rio has felt a growing sense of connection to the ocean and begins to understand these unfamiliar feelings when finding out more about his mother’s early years.

After a challenging incident with his grandmother, Rio reconnects with local girl called Marina, whose father Birch is skipper of a whale-watching boat. At first, they develop a tentative friendship and Rio is taken out whale watching where they meet White Beak. It is while onboard the Spyhopper that Rio discovers he has an uncanny ability to hear the whales. He is offered the opportunity to crew on the boat with Marina and help find whales for the tourists. White Beak becomes central to the story and with Fran, Marina and Birch, Rio is able to rescue her from a life-threatening situation and free himself from his inner turmoil.

Throughout this story readers can gain a greater knowledge of grey whales as well as the environmental damage and threats to their safety brought about by human ignorance. The author shows a deep understanding of mental illness and its impact on family members, and sensitively deals with this in the unfolding story. An absolutely wonderful read that would make a perfect class novel.

Themes: Grey Whales, Family, Mental Illness, Friendship, Environmental Issues, Whale Migration.

Kathryn Beilby