• Age: 13
• Grade: 8

Adrift on the Ark is a collection of personal essays by Margaret Thompson that offers a straightforward study of the complex relationship between human beings and the natural world. The essays look at a wide range of beings—from spiders to peacocks—and cover issues such as our irrational phobias, our fascination with zoos, and the myths and stories we have created around the other occupants of this earth. They also observe the joy animals bring to us as our pets and the altruistic relationship between caregivers and companions. With lively anecdotes and engaging portraits of the animals who have enriched Margaret’s life, these entertaining and personal essays serve a double purpose: as a reminder of our place in the natural order and our intricate connections with animals; and as a warning about how much we stand to lose by ignoring our responsibilities for all life on earth.

Meant to inspire and motivate, Adrift on the Ark is an enchanting reflection on the beneficial relationship between humans and other animals.

Margaret Thompson's first collection of short stories, Hide and Seek, was published in 1996, and in 2000, she won a BC2000 Book Award for her second book, an historical novel for young adults, Eyewitness. She has published stories, poems, and essays in literary magazines and anthologies, as well as a chapter book called Fox Winter and a collection of travel essays, Knocking on the Moonlit Door. A past president of the Federation of BC Writers, Margaret sits on the editorial board of the Federation’s quarterly journal, WordWorks. Born in england and educated at London University, Exeter University, and San Diego State University, Margaret has taught in the BC towns of Merritt, Madeira Park, Sechelt, and Fort St. James. She now lives in Victoria, BC, where she is able to pursue one of her favourite occupations, birdwatching.

Margaret Thompson's profile page

In lush yet charming prose, Thompson examines pets and peacocks, swans and bats, and there's even a chapter called 'Pigs Might Fly.' —January Magazine

Heartwarming and relatable. The [stories] will make you laugh and cry. There is an underlying green message that fits well in today's society. —The Ladysmith Chronicle

Margaret Thompson’s essay collection Adrift on the Ark: Our Connection to the Natural World includes anecdotes and personal memories of her encounters with birds and other animals beyond the two-legged variety. —BC Bookworld

Thompson's descriptions of the personalities of individual creatures that have shared her life is reminiscent of the writings of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson (author of The Pig Who Sang to the Moon). —Animal Literature

Margaret Thompson’s writing is charming and insightful. The book takes you into her world of nature with a vitality that is both particular and universal. —Robert Bateman

Each essay is a testament to a mutual sharing of subjectivities and moves us toward a relational consciousness, resulting in the beginning of empathy, care, and compasion. —The Goose

Adrift on the Ark: Our Connection to the Natural World