Theory of Bastards, Audrey Schulman
Theory of Bastards, Audrey Schulman
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Theory of Bastards

Author: Audrey Schulman

Narrator: Rachel Dulude

Unabridged: 12 hr 1 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 11/27/2018


Synopsis

"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.


About Audrey Schulman

Audrey Schulman is the author of Three Weeks in December, Swimming with Jonah, The Cage, and A House Named Brazil. Her work has been translated into eleven languages. Born in Montreal, she now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she runs HEET, a non-profit.


Reviews

This is a strange, strange book. I can't imagine I will succeed in recommending it to anyone once I've described what it is about - and maybe that's for the best - but I just found this story so unbelievably fascinating. I'm not even totally sure why. Theory of Bastards is about an award-winning evol......more

Goodreads review by Josh

Part tech-fi, part social study, Theory of Bastards is wholly entertaining. But it's not due to a fast paced plot or nasty piece of technology threatening to end the world. No, the beauty in this book lies with its literary qualities, perfect prose, and complex characters; bonobo and human alike. Fr......more

Goodreads review by Allison

So, I read this because I saw the author speak, during which she said her interest is in "charismatic megafauna," which sounded great to me and not just as a band name. She herself was a sort of charismatic megafauna, telling very funny, insightful, human stories with lots of interesting analogies t......more

Goodreads review by Cindy

4.5 stars First, this book is unique and hard to describe, but I loved every minute of it. Second, I am truly baffled by the cover which bears little relation to the story; book covers that do not properly depict what is inside the book are a huge pet peeve of mine. Theory of Bastards is set in the n......more