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.
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At the age of 21, Cora got a job as a waitress in a club in Tampa. ONE: TAMPA, FLORIDA, FEB, 1965
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(@EuropaEditions, 11 August 2022, ebook, 308 pages, #ARC from the publisher)
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I thought this was an incredible book. I was fascinated by the details of Cora's connection to the Dolphins and her ability to communicate with them and her success at teaching them to come as close to human speech as possible. I'd never heard of the actual experiment this is based on and made the mistake of reading about it before the book was finished which spoiled certain events a little. I cried a lot reading this as Cora hurtles, unknowingly towards scandal and disaster.