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How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures
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About This Book
A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena), and other uncanny creatures lurking in the deep ocean, far below where the light reaches. Imbler discovers that some of the most radical models of family, community, and care can be found in the sea, from gelatinous chains that are both individual organisms and colonies of clones to deep-sea crabs that have no need for the sun, nourished instead by the chemicals and heat throbbing from the core of the Earth. Exploring themes of adaptation, survival, sexuality, and care, and weaving the wonders of marine biology with stories of their own family, relationships, and coming of age, How Far the Light Reaches is a book that invites us to envision wilder, grander, and more abundant possibilities for the way we live.
Reviews
"Imbler cannily observes the lives of sea creatures, drawing out lessons about resilience, survival and wildness and tying those insights to their own experiences as a biracial, queer writer ..."
"This balance of science and memoir blends seamlessly across each essay in Imbler's collection ..."
"The cuttlefish chapter is resonant but reveals a natural weakness in the science writing ..."
"Each elegantly crafted essay focuses on a single type of sea creature whose story is interwoven thematically with elements of Imbler's own."
"Braided through the fascinating account...is Imbler's own narrative ..."
"Occasionally, Imbler's juxtaposition of marine and human life feels forced, but the overall effect is heartening and encourages a reexamination of inherited ideas about family, community, and identity ..."
"This intimate deep dive will leave readers eager to see where Imbler goes next."
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