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A review by jessie_h
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
5.0
This is probably the best memoir I've ever read. The way Imbler weaved their stories with the science of these ten sea creatures was phenomenally and deftly done. They touched on everything from familial, romantic, and cultural expectations to the process of discovering their true self and what it means to them to be queer.
The choice of each sea creature highlighted the story the essay it was covering and made each more poignant and understandable. Each essay covered had me putting the book down and sitting with them before continuing on. Some of the experiences and stories shared had me thinking about them nonstop for days. The emotional impact of each essay was heightened by the science. I am in awe of this whole collection.
As a scientist, I was enthralled with the sea creatures Imbler used to highlight their experiences from page one. I learned so much from the problem of feral goldfish to the different stages of a whale fall (not to mention what exactly a whale fall is)! It took me a few weeks to read this memoir because each sea creature inspired me to learn more so I fell down the Google rabbit hole doing so. I read so many of the scientific articles and papers listed in each essay's source list! My nerdy heart enjoys a detailed reference list so I really appreciated the fact that the sources for this book took up 20 pages.
I would 10 out of 10 recommend this memoir to everyone.
The choice of each sea creature highlighted the story the essay it was covering and made each more poignant and understandable. Each essay covered had me putting the book down and sitting with them before continuing on. Some of the experiences and stories shared had me thinking about them nonstop for days. The emotional impact of each essay was heightened by the science. I am in awe of this whole collection.
As a scientist, I was enthralled with the sea creatures Imbler used to highlight their experiences from page one. I learned so much from the problem of feral goldfish to the different stages of a whale fall (not to mention what exactly a whale fall is)! It took me a few weeks to read this memoir because each sea creature inspired me to learn more so I fell down the Google rabbit hole doing so. I read so many of the scientific articles and papers listed in each essay's source list! My nerdy heart enjoys a detailed reference list so I really appreciated the fact that the sources for this book took up 20 pages.
I would 10 out of 10 recommend this memoir to everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Grief, Alcohol, and Dysphoria