Submitted by Mary C., Heritage Interpreter

It’s past the New Year, now, and like many folks, I’ve eaten and lazed about so much over the holiday that I’m now ready to get started on a few resolutions. One of my goals for the coming months is to read more widely. I love fiction so much that I rarely read outside of it – dozens of wonderful works of non-fiction, graphic novel, history books all end up on my “to-read” list, but never on my “read” list.

So, if you’re like me, and you’re looking for a book to read that’s outside of your regular comfort zone, maybe you’ll like the book I picked up in the Cannery Gift Shop this week too – “Salmon: A Scientific Memoir” by Jude Isabella.

This book caught my eye, not just because of its bright orange cover, but because of its intriguing title. A scientific memoir? Those are not two things I would have put together! Yet, as I flipped through the first few pages, it was obvious that despite the scientific bent of the information imparted, it was very much written in the style of a memoir. That’s to say: engaging to read, personal, and definitely fascinating. The first chapter begins thus: “It’s drizzly, cold and muddy, and a folding table on the south bank of the Harrison River in British Columbia is no place to perform open-heart surgery.”

As an interpreter, I’m always fishing for more knowledge on salmon, so it’s no surprise that I’m interested in a book on salmon. But maybe you’ll find this book interesting too. After all, the salmon is nearly ubiquitous as a symbol for the Pacific Northwest, and who doesn’t want to know more about their own home?

Posted by m.horita

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