Friday’s Harbor by Diane Hammond

Friday’s Harbor by Diane Hammond is the tale of what happens when a zoo takes over the care of a killer whale. With the help of the lovable employees of the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, Friday has a new chance at life, if he can be rehabilitated.

Book Description

“The heartwarming and provocative sequel to Diane Hammond's Hannah's Dream, Friday's Harbor is the compelling story of a dying orca, the caring zoo that saves him, and the controversy that threatens his captivity.

It's been three years since Hannah, the elephant, departed the Max L. Biedelman Zoo, in Bladenham, Washington, and much has changed, including the appointment of new executive director Truman Levy, and the arrival of a failing killer whale named Friday.

With the help of marine mammal rehabilitator Gabriel Jump, and a team of dedicated though inexperienced keepers, Friday begins to recover. But not everyone believes he should be in captivity—a debate that explodes onto a national stage. Now, Friday's fate may no longer rest in the hands of Truman and the caring staff at the Max L. Biedelman Zoo.” – Friday’s Harbor

My Thoughts

Friday’s Harbor is a memorable story that shows the author’s love for animals, and how the debate between the public’s view of captivity vs release into wildlife affects the animals, and the people involved.

I enjoyed reading this story, and seeing how Friday’s recovery at the zoo happened. People love whales and seeing them up close and personal, and this story showed how that love can help the animal, too.

Friday’s story is memorable and animal lovers will definitely feel for the whale in the story. The day to day life of an animal, such as a whale, in captivity is told in a very real way in this story. The author, Diane Hammond was the press secretary for Keiko the killer whale, and her real knowledge of this makes Friday’s story that much more realistic.

Overall, I really did like this story. It is a fun, easy to read novel that I definitely recommend reading.

* Thank you to the publisher of Friday’s Harbor, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.