Based on the true story of the 1965 "dolphin house" experiment, this
spellbinding novel captures the tenor of the social experiments of the
1960s in award-winning author Audrey Schulman's tightly paced and
evocative style.
It is 1965, and Cora, a young, hearing impaired woman, buys a one-way
ticket to the island of St. Thomas, where she discovers four dolphins
held in captivity as part of an experiment led by the obsessive Dr.
Blum. Drawn by a strong connection to the dolphins, Cora falls in with
the scientists and discovers her need to protect the animals.
Recognizing Cora's knack for communication, Blum uses her for what will
turn into one of the most fascinating experiments in modern science: an
attempt to teach the dolphins human language by creating a home in which
she and a dolphin can live together.
As the experiment progresses, Cora forges a remarkable bond with the
creatures, until her hard-won knowledge clashes with the male-dominated
world of science. As a terrible scandal threatens to engulf the
experiment, Cora's fight to save the dolphins becomes a battle to save
herself.