Lavinia reviewed The girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley
Review of 'The girl of the Sea of Cortez' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Perhaps it was the time period that I read The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley, or maybe just the story, so beautiful and gentle, full of adventure and danger, but it had such an impact on me.
I really loved this book, it’s a simple, straightforward story with wise thoughts on living in harmony with the natural world. Its core message is about protecting marine life from overfishing. But it also deals with other issues, such as how culture shapes thoughts and behaviours and how difficult is for people to accept behaviours and ideas that are not congruent with what the society perceives as normal. Benchley touches briefly on gender equality and talks about embracing your identity and not being ashamed of who you are. Knowing your true and authentic identity determines how you live your lives and how you act. It is something that I …
Perhaps it was the time period that I read The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley, or maybe just the story, so beautiful and gentle, full of adventure and danger, but it had such an impact on me.
I really loved this book, it’s a simple, straightforward story with wise thoughts on living in harmony with the natural world. Its core message is about protecting marine life from overfishing. But it also deals with other issues, such as how culture shapes thoughts and behaviours and how difficult is for people to accept behaviours and ideas that are not congruent with what the society perceives as normal. Benchley touches briefly on gender equality and talks about embracing your identity and not being ashamed of who you are. Knowing your true and authentic identity determines how you live your lives and how you act. It is something that I fully relate to.
You can sense that it’s a deeply personal book and for what I later read, it’s based on a real-life experience. Peter Benchley is the author of Jaws, a book and a terrifying movie that, in a way, demonised the ocean. With The Girl of the Sea of Cortez he makes up for it. He shows a mysterious, fascinating and awe-inspiring world, that awakes the imagination and elevates the soul. Basically, this book is Benchley’s love letter to sea.
This is a Corgi paperback edition, published in 1982.
