Marine biologist and navigator
Hannah Stowe combines her training as a marine biologist with her experience as a sailor, weaving a dual scientific and sensitive perspective into her writing. Her biologist's eye enables her to provide precise knowledge of marine species, their behavior and their environment, while her sailing experience nurtures an intimate, sensory relationship with the sea.
She shares observations from her expeditions, combining naturalistic descriptions, anecdotes from navigation and personal reflections, giving her account a dimension that is both documentary and poetic. This immersive approach allows readers to experience the sea "from the inside", through the author's direct experience, while benefiting from her scientific expertise.
Beauty and vulnerability of the oceans
The book is distinguished by its elegant, poetic writing. The author invites the reader to plunge into the world of six marine creatures, whose stories echo her own life experience. On this journey, which takes her from the coasts of Libya to the Azores via the Baltic Sea, Stowe shares her observations and emotions, offering an intimate reflection on the beauty and vulnerability of the oceans.
Six animals are explored to highlight the beauty and fragility of the marine world, as well as the threats to ocean biodiversity. Species include :
- The fire crow
- The sperm whale
- The wandering albatross
- The humpback whale
- The barnacle
- The shearwater
Each of these creatures serves as a thread for the author's reflections on the relationship between humans and the sea, and on the need to preserve the wonders of the ocean.
Free as Water is an ode to the sea, a call to preserve marine biodiversity and an invitation to discover the richness of the underwater world.
Free as a bird
- Author : Hannah Stowe
- Translator: Gaëlle Cogan
- Number of pages: 320 pages
- Dimensions: 227 x 142 mm
- Published by: Plon
- Retail price: 22.90 euros
