AND THE OCEAN WAS OUR SKY

This twist on the story of Moby-Dick is told from the viewpoint of a whale called Bathsheba. Narrator Cassandra Campbell voices Bathsheba with world-weariness as she recounts her long-past days as part of a whale pod searching for the fabled Toby Wick, a sailor who takes pleasure in massacring whales and humans alike. Like its inspiration, Ness's story tackles complex themes such as subjective morality and reality versus perception. Campbell's voice hovers in a low range befitting a whale. At times, it dips into vocal fry to express the emotional pain Bathsheba experiences throughout the story. Campbell does not differentiate voices for other characters, but this makes sense within the narrative: Bathsheba herself is telling this story as it happened many moons ago. S.P. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2018]