White Whale (GLBT Historical)

White Whale by Rose Christo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5

The taste of anger is bitter on my tongue, the sadness burrowed deep in my heart, and the images my mind can clearly picture will probably stay with me for a long time. This is not an easy story to read, at least it wasn't for me.

Orca is a man who's been to hell, even though not treated as an actual citizen with any rights, he has to go to war for his country. There in the midst of suffering and destruction the rest of his team become his family, his brothers-their race doesn't matter. When he finally makes it home, he thinks it's to finally devote himself to his son, only to discover that the government is closing down his child's school and want to send all the children to a boarding school. Orca has already known the pain of seeing what boarding school did to his father, and is prepared to fight to keep his child Rabbit from being dragged away and stripped of who he is. Then a letter arrives informing him of the passing of one of his brothers and he leaves to attend the funeral, there he reconnects with the rest of his team members and Jona-his team leader and a man that makes him want, want so badly that it both surprises and scares him.

Orca learns that Jona is running from prejudice and is without a home, so Orca takes him to his. Life appears to gain some semblance of normalcy that is quickly shattered when one day he goes to pick up his boy only to discover that Fawn-his boy's mother has turned him over to the BIA, to be placed in a boarding school. Orca and Jona set out to find Rabbit and bring him home.

This is a story of a soldier who doesn't know why he has to kill people that never hurt him, a father that only wants to love and nurture his son, a man who finds love unexpectedly with another man, and the child within him that only yearns for his Father's love and acceptance. Poignant and heart wrenching this story portrays the worst side of humanity and the devastating results of hatred and prejudice. While the relationship between Orca and Jona is really beautiful and Orca's bond with Rabbit is so warm and lovely don't expect a perfect and conventional ending.


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