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A review by pushingdessy
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I used to think I just wasn’t a memoir person but, as with books in general, it was a matter of finding the right ones for me. I don’t care about memoirs from famous people - Carrie Fisher being an exception; open to change this at some point. But I do love a good topical memoir from less glamorous or well-known people, and this one fit the bill.
What a gorgeous book! Sabrina Imbler is a science journalist who focuses on environmental justice and animals, and “How far the light reaches” is a collection of essays specifically structured around sea creatures. I’ve been fascinated with the creatures from the ocean depths since I was a child and got an illustrated book about it as a present. The book was divided into the zones of the ocean and, along with information, each cardboard page had a window cut into it with a piece of translucent plastic and illustrations of the creatures that lived in that zone - turn a page, dive into another zone. All this to say, I was really drawn to Imbler’s book.
Each chapter focuses on a creature and an aspect of Imbler’s life that ties with it: her relationship with her family, her queer and mixed-race identity, her romantic relationships, the topic of community, sexual assault, body image, the environment. And, imo, this was done so cleverly, because the creatures were chosen for specific reasons in order to make these connections.
While there’s obviously a fair amount of scientific information about the ocean and its creatures, it’s easily digestible - and to me at least, fascinating.
This was a real joy to read and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves sea creatures and/or science communication - while keeping in mind that that aspect of the book is intertwined with and inseparable from a very personal account of a queer, Chinese-American person’s life
What a gorgeous book! Sabrina Imbler is a science journalist who focuses on environmental justice and animals, and “How far the light reaches” is a collection of essays specifically structured around sea creatures. I’ve been fascinated with the creatures from the ocean depths since I was a child and got an illustrated book about it as a present. The book was divided into the zones of the ocean and, along with information, each cardboard page had a window cut into it with a piece of translucent plastic and illustrations of the creatures that lived in that zone - turn a page, dive into another zone. All this to say, I was really drawn to Imbler’s book.
Each chapter focuses on a creature and an aspect of Imbler’s life that ties with it: her relationship with her family, her queer and mixed-race identity, her romantic relationships, the topic of community, sexual assault, body image, the environment. And, imo, this was done so cleverly, because the creatures were chosen for specific reasons in order to make these connections.
While there’s obviously a fair amount of scientific information about the ocean and its creatures, it’s easily digestible - and to me at least, fascinating.
This was a real joy to read and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves sea creatures and/or science communication - while keeping in mind that that aspect of the book is intertwined with and inseparable from a very personal account of a queer, Chinese-American person’s life