This book was very cute. It touched on grief and longing without ever diving too deep or dampening the mood of the book. The art is adorable, and the story is both sad and inspiring. Esteban never gave up on his dream and persisted until he could accomplish his goals. Personally, I love whales, so reading this was a little hard but I loved the story nonetheless. However, their didn't seem to be a resounding goal in the book, and the story wanders a little. I would have liked it if the book were longer and delved deeper into Esteban's story. ( )

Orphaned by an unexplained massacre of indigenous people in the Tierra del Fuego region of South America, young Esteban flees to a nearby port to seek employment on a whaling ship his mother once told him about. He aspires to become a harpooner as he learns about the whaling industry on a sailing ship at a time when steamships are starting to arrive and change the way things are done. He also tries to crack the hard veneer of the vessel's tight-lipped captain.

The setting and simmering secrets intrigue me enough to seek out future installments. ( )