Theory of Bastards
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Theory of Bastards
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Narrated by:
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Rachel Dulude
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By:
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Audrey Schulman
About this listen
"Stage four. Surgery. Recovering." While those are the simple words that once described Dr. Francine Burk's situation, the reality is much more complex. Her new reality is bacon rinds for breakfast and feeling unduly thrilled by her increasing ability to walk across a room without assistance. And it's being offered a placement at a prestigious research institute where she can put to good use her recent award money. With the Foundation's advanced technological resources and a group of fascinating primates, Francine can begin to verify her subversive scientific discovery, which has challenged the foundations of history - her Theory of Bastards.
Frankie finds that the bonobos she's studying are as complex as the humans she's working alongside. Their personalities are strong and distinct, and reigning over it all is Mama, the commanding, matriarchal leader of the group. Frankie comes to know the bonobos and to further develop her groundbreaking theory with the help of her research partner, a man with a complicated past and perhaps a place in her future. And then something changes everything, and the lines that divide them - between subject and scientist, between colleague and companion - begin to blur.
©2018 Audrey Schulman (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
Very soon though, the Bonobos become co-lead characters, particularly the formidable matriarch, Momma, and the small group around her of younger females, juveniles, and the outlier males. Frankie's work takes her closer than the rules allow but she is not reckless and her observations pay off in advancing and deepening both her understanding of these apes and her relationship with them.
Following a dust storm which wipes out technology which is only slightly ahead of our own today, there comes a point where Frankie, the man she's fallen in love with (don't expect any violins), and the Bonobos have to leave the research facility and make their way in a world that appears newly feral and dependent on more primitive resources than any experienced in recent generations.
But as with the romantic violins, don't expect any Mad Max apocalyptic scenes, zombies, or rogue elements running riot while Our Brave Heroine tries to keep her pet apes together, this is a story of inter-dependence, learning from each other and becoming more human, humane, and empathically related than any research programme could possibly offer. The research elements though, sound convincing to my memory of studies of animal behaviour but they ground and propel the story rather than interfering with its tone of growing respect and mutuality.
I found this to be a beautifully written and expertly narrated novel - give or take the odd mispronunciation of British place names - that develops layered and relatable love stories without the vengeful or cloying sentimentality its cover might suggest.
A deeply human story about relationships
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