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A review by lexsven
Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I honestly forgot I put a hold on this book at the library. I vaguely remember requesting this book back in May or something so it came as quite a chock when I was let know it was my turn to check it out. I first saw this book around October of 2023 and was very interested in the cover and what it was about but it was not included in the buy one get one half off deal so I didn't end up buying it but clearly couldn't forget about it if I ended up checking it out.
This book started a little slow for me. I was interested in the concept of following the story of David Starr Jordan but wasn't sure if it would just be following his life as a biography based on his autobiography. Then the author mentions a piece of her own life and I was interested but curious how it would fit in. As the story unravelled it became more apparent and intriguing. I understood the main tone that even the people we see as amazing have flaws and some can be quite dire. At the end of the day we are all human and we all err.
The narrative then shifts away from having the main focus on David Starr Jordan and onto more tragic topics of eugenics, which was also touched on earlier in the book. The individuals the author spoke with were very endearing and a story of hope and moving on from terrible experiences and that coping comes in many forms. Whatever gets you through that doesn't harm people should be loved and respected.
While all through the book was very interesting and well fleshed out, the last half hour really struck me and made a lasting impact. It was a beautiful story of resilience. Fish really don't exist.
(I also love and audiobook read by the author! bonus points for the Easter Egg for audiobook listeners at the end.)
This book started a little slow for me. I was interested in the concept of following the story of David Starr Jordan but wasn't sure if it would just be following his life as a biography based on his autobiography. Then the author mentions a piece of her own life and I was interested but curious how it would fit in. As the story unravelled it became more apparent and intriguing. I understood the main tone that even the people we see as amazing have flaws and some can be quite dire. At the end of the day we are all human and we all err.
The narrative then shifts away from having the main focus on David Starr Jordan and onto more tragic topics of eugenics, which was also touched on earlier in the book. The individuals the author spoke with were very endearing and a story of hope and moving on from terrible experiences and that coping comes in many forms. Whatever gets you through that doesn't harm people should be loved and respected.
While all through the book was very interesting and well fleshed out, the last half hour really struck me and made a lasting impact. It was a beautiful story of resilience. Fish really don't exist.
(I also love and audiobook read by the author! bonus points for the Easter Egg for audiobook listeners at the end.)