Right after hatching, a tortoise is plucked from her ancestral homeland and brought to a collector's estate. Deemed Daisuke by the grounds caretaker, the tortoise explores her new home and comes to terms with the boundaries that have been imposed upon her and some of the other animals on the grounds. She gets to know some of the people around the residence, taking a liking to young Lucy. Lucy treats the tortoise as a friend and calls her Magic. As the years pass, the tortoise finds solace in the music that the residents play, especially the live music. The people around the tortoise come and go, but Lucy comes back for her. Time passes differently for the tortoise, with other animals and people dying while she stays steady. Finally, more than a century into life, Tortoise discovers exactly who she is and the legacy she carries; however, even this revelation does not come with freedom.
Told completely from Tortoise's perspective, The Tortoise's tale is an enlightening and emotional read. From the first moments of Tortoise's life, I felt connected to her and her well being. It was insightful to read about Tortoise's views on captivity and her interactions with the other animals in the estate, both free and captive. Even more interesting were Tortoise's interactions with the humans that came through her life, her deep connection to Lucy was amazing, even through prolonged absences. I enjoyed Tortoise's connection to music and its impact through the passing decades. While Tortoise definitely had good times on the estate, made connections with both other animals and people and enjoyed the constant flow of music, it was overshadowed by the constant knowing that she didn't belong there and that there was a place that she belonged in the outside world. A bittersweet ending rounded out this memoir from a tortoise's perspective.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Told completely from Tortoise's perspective, The Tortoise's tale is an enlightening and emotional read. From the first moments of Tortoise's life, I felt connected to her and her well being. It was insightful to read about Tortoise's views on captivity and her interactions with the other animals in the estate, both free and captive. Even more interesting were Tortoise's interactions with the humans that came through her life, her deep connection to Lucy was amazing, even through prolonged absences. I enjoyed Tortoise's connection to music and its impact through the passing decades. While Tortoise definitely had good times on the estate, made connections with both other animals and people and enjoyed the constant flow of music, it was overshadowed by the constant knowing that she didn't belong there and that there was a place that she belonged in the outside world. A bittersweet ending rounded out this memoir from a tortoise's perspective.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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