FernFolio

A young girl named Tiktala wants to become a soapstone carver so that she can become rich and famous, but is told by a village elder that she must go in search of a spirit helper.  Transformed into a harp seal, she meets Tulimak, a seal who hates humans, who has been chosen to help her.  Together they must travel to the summer fishing grounds, before setting out for the great meeting place, where seals meet to have their pups.  On the journey Tiktala learns the beauty of the sea and its many creatures, and of harp seals, awkward on land but swift and sleek in water. When she risks her life to save that of a seal pup, Tiktala discovers her connection to the animals of the north, and welcomes her carver spirit.
Margaret Shaw-MacKinnon’s lovely story of Tiktala’s rediscovery of her traditional Inuit beliefs is accompanied by the hauntingly beautiful paintings of László Gál.
FernFolio Editor