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"An inspiring book about love in its purest form."—JANE GOODALL, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
With the heartwrenching vulnerability of The Glass Castle and the spiritual journey of H is for Hawk, this stunning debut memoir tells the story of a traumatized young woman's friendship with an injured dolphin whose habitat she fights to save.
When Melody Horrill arrived at university she was a troubled and lost young woman, hiding behind a carefully crafted exterior. She had experienced a childhood of emotional and physical trauma mainly at the hands of her violent father that was as damaging as it was brutal.
One day Melody volunteered to help her lecturer monitor pods of river dolphins nearby. There for the first time she encountered Jock, a solitary dolphin with a maimed fin, who lived apart from the highly social pods. Melody was to form a bond with Jock that gave her the key to freeing herself from the demons of her own past, and their extraordinary friendship was the start of a long-term mission to try to save the river dolphins.
Beautifully written and filled with insight and compassion, Melody's memoir details her life-changing friendship with the river dolphins, and how Jock helped her to heal.
"Compelling, taught, open and direct ... a highly engaging narrative [which is] very honest and real."
—James Aldred, author of Goshawk Summer
"I came away from reading this deeply moving book feeling that not only was the author fortunate to encounter dolphins in her life, in the way the animals guided and lifted her towards recovery from her upbringing, but that the dolphins themselves were fortunate to have in Melody Horrill a writer so attuned to their grace and remarkable intelligence and, above all, driven by their plight."
—James Macdonald Lockhart, author of Raptor and Wild Air
"A beautiful story of deeply shared emotions and unfiltered empathy between two beings—a troubled young woman and Jock, an isolated injured river dolphin who couldn't possibly have anticipated their future strong and unlikely friendship—who met, healed one another, and brightened one another's life."
—Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and Rewilding Our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence
"An exceptionally moving memoir about the potential of animal and human interaction to heal our wounded hearts. While Melody’s story is unique to her, its message of resilience and hope will be deeply inspiring for all. Get a copy for anyone you love!"
—Courtney Maum, author of The Year of the Horses
"An inspiring book about love in its purest form."
—Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace
"Like My Octopus Teacher, Melody Horrill's story explores an unforgettable friendship that bridges species and worlds."
—Mark Leiren-Young, author of The Killer Whale Who Changed the World
Melody Horrill is an award-winning journalist, presenter and documentary producer, with more than 20 years' experience in broadcast media. She is well-known for her passionate writing and filming about the endangered wild dolphins in Australia. Her documentary Dance with a Dolphin was broadcast across the world on CNN, with Melody presenting it from the U.S.She lives in Australia.