Audiobook….read by Stig Wemyss ….1 hour and 27 minutesThank you Bianca for turning me on to this book!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I CRIED!!!!I’ve been meaning to read several novels by Tim Winton for years (even own a few of his paperbacks: where the print is looking smaller as I age)…. But this audiobook was a nice start - intro into Tim Winton…..MORE THAN A NICE START!!!!You gotta listen it it!!!! Anything I say is just not it — By the time you get to the end of this hour spent listening— you realize just how special this book is. “Blueblack” — was first published in 1997…..soon to be adapted to a full length film in 2023. It’s a touching story…..about a mum and a boy living a life in tune with the environment”…. … beware of those with greedy developers and overfishing …Abel, ten years old, and his mother, Dora, who lived in Longboat Bay, worried about ways to keep their place safe. Abel’s father died when he was little — and everything about the sea was a memory to Abel in relationship to his father. To his mother too! Diving for abalone, Able sees an ‘old groper’ (the largest carnivorous bony fish species found living on reefs in the Australian waters) …. Almost everyday Able swam with Blueback. …. gotta listen to this audio to learn more that happens here— At age thirteen, Able needed to go away to school -I won’t go too much into this part other than, yeah, he did fine in school and made some friends but he felt home sickness for his home by the sea. I felt that homesickness right along with him. …. then something sad happens …Best not to say too much — Remember— it’s only an hour of your time — and I promise it’s an hour worth spent!! Its a marvelous fable for all ages…for people who love the sea. A story about growing up, love, loss, and showing great respect for our natural living world. But the FEELINGS ….The DEEP APPRECIATION that readers will feel must be experienced. All around the land — the sea —was a National Park….. with an orchard of fruit trees: apricot trees lemon trees, Peppermint trees, (a tree Dora used as a type of shrine for the loss of her husband)… and others….There was no electricity —no TV. Abel and his mom grew their own vegetables. It was hard work sometimes living the way that they did— but Abel had never known any other life. He roamed through the forest and swam in the sea every day. He was lonely sometimes but he liked being with his mother. Sometimes during the evenings he watched the kangaroos — I wanted to join him. It was sooo tender sweet ‘taking in’ the inside voice of Abel. He knew that one day he wanted to work with fish. — He knew that the sea was his home. Abel‘s father had been a Pearl diver. Every year his dad went north for Pearl season. It was boring work his father said — but he went back every year. And one year a shark killed him. But the memory of who his father lives on and on. I feel it too. I loved this little family - this story - I think my heart just grew wings!!! Fishing, planting, the land, the water….it was life for Able — he didn’t care about more money — a bigger city —Blueblack is a heartbreaking allegory about a boy and his mother and a blue groper—It’s hard to explain why this book feels so magically wonderful….. …..with a very sad — bittersweet sweet scene ( gotta examine it bigger I said to myself) —But….towards the end, during a walk, I had to sit down on the curb to wipe my eyes. “We come from the water …. We belong to it”. These are words I’d like to paint - and put around my own tub of water in the yard. Abel figured his mother knew all the secrets of the sea…. And I believed him!!!!Note…. ….everybody who reads this book is meeting over at Bianca‘s house — in Australia— to watch the movie next year. 🤫I’ll bring snacks!! 💦🐠🦀🐬🐋🐳❤️