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A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga
A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga: Stories | Julia Whitty
8 posts | 1 read | 1 to read
Bringing a unique perspective and a singular voice to contemporary fiction, A TORTOISE FOR THE QUEEN OF TONGA features lush, poignant stories about the natural world. Here are mammals, historical figures, everyday people who discover the liberating properties of memory and knowledge in the face of captivity and loneliness. We meet a forlorn tortoise forced to live among humans. We witness orcas at Ocean World staging a revolt, using celibacy as their weapon. In a French cave, a young computer animator draws parallels between Cro-Magnon and modern women. One story even travels to heaven, where Charles Darwin seeks the source of human happiness. Whitty joins her authority about wildlife and her rich imagination to spectacular effect. Drawing on twenty years' experience with making nature documentaries, she takes readers inside the minds of animals and people struggling to overcome their limitations. In a voice as magical as it is informed, A TORTOISE FOR THE QUEEN OF TONGA bridges the mythical and the mundane, the animal and the human. Julia Whitty is a brilliant new storyteller in American short fiction.
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Texreader
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#wondrouswednesday

1) sadly, allergies, but also here in Texas, bluebonnets ❤️❤️❤️
2) tagged
3) my son‘s high school graduation

dabbe Congrats to your son! 🤩🤩🤩 Sorry about the allergies. 💙🩵💙 2d
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Texreader
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I‘ve really slowed down reading for the month of April with only 8 books finished. Six were for #foodandlit #Venezuela, 1 for #authoramonth (I wasn‘t inclined to read more by this author), and 1 for #readingOceania #Tonga (and completing that challenge for the year). I‘ve tagged my favorite book this month, oddly a book of short stories that I normally don‘t care for, but these were exceptional.

Librarybelle Still a great reading month! 3d
Catsandbooks Awesome! 5h
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Pickpick

Superb short stories, the first being the title of this book. The giant tortoise named Tu'i Malila was captured by Captain Cook stuck in the ship‘s hold without food and water for a year, to be fresh meat if the crew needed. When he got to #Tonga he gifted her to the queen. The tortoise lives like royalty but never forgets the pain of that year. 😭 Each story is unique and I felt the author did an amazing amount of research. One is hilarious: ⬇️

Texreader Darwin in Heaven had me rolling with laughter. Even though the rest of the stories are not set in Oceania, I‘m counting it for #readingOceania and I highly recommend it. 4d
Librarybelle Hooray!! 4d
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I adored this book of short stories (review to come). But this book marks my completion of the #readingOceania challenge!! I do plan to keep reading for the challenge because I found so many good books I want to read. @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Susanita Good job!! 1w
Bookwormjillk Wow, way to go! 1w
Librarybelle Yay!!! Congratulations! 1w
Deblovestoread Well done 🎉 1w
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Texreader
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I‘m just going to say this may be one of the best short stories I‘ve ever read—Darwin in Heaven

#Tonga #readingOceania @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

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Texreader
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This book of short stories (not all of them are about #Tonga) are particularly well written. But this opening sentence is definitely one of the best I‘ve ever read.

#readingOceania @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

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If you need a book for #Tonga for #readingOceania, the ebook is only 75 cents! @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Bookwormjillk Worth a shot. Thanks! 2w
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Texreader
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My next ebook for #Tonga, my last country to complete the #readingOceania challenge @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB although I do plan to continue reading books for the challenge

Librarybelle Yay!!! 2w
Itchyfeetreader Oh wow you have done well I haven‘t even started ! 2w
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