I finished The Tortoise’s Tale this weekend - a debut novel by Kendra Coulter. You are reading from the perspective of a giant tortoise living at an estate in Southern California for more than 100 years. She becomes attached to a gardner and a young girl named Lucy. She sits in on Lucy’s tutoring sessions and learns more about the world. Through her the tortoise’s eyes, you witness historical events and changes to music and fashion. It was a quick read and a great one if you were a fan of Remarkably Bright Creatures.

Thank you to @netgalley, @gifted.horse and @simonandschuster for this book in exchange for a review! This was a 4/5 for me!

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A giant tortoise is transported from her native home to an estate in California. From this locale, she has a century to observe life, both human and animal. She forms bonds with those who are kind to her and learns to avoid those not so kind.Throughout her century, she witnesses the good and bad in humanity, as well as the changes in society over time. She is also no stranger to the damage that can be inflicted on the environment. Despite the passage of time and the people and fellow animals who come and go from her life, she remains steadfastly observant and irrepressible.

Beautifully and sensitively written, this is a charming tale that evokes a range of emotions, as well as nostalgia and hope. It is thoughtful, even profound in its simplicity. There are important messages here, but it is never preachy, just a heartfelt story that leaves a lasting impression.

This is just the kind of book I would like to find under my tree at Christmas.

Fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures may notice some similarities but may also find a simpler and less compelling story. The giant tortoise, aka Magic, is a sympathetic main character but the narrative moves about as fast as Magic moves. Of course the novel is constrained by the limited viewpoint of Magic as he lives on the grounds of one house so the action has to come to him. Because the story is told by him, character development is pretty shallow. The author did cleverly bring current events to Magic by adding popular music of each time period as a way for the reader to notice the passage of time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC to read and review.

Brilliant tale told from the point of view of an elderly tortoise who has had no say each time she has been uprooted and rehumedezo. Which is a lot as she views the ebb and flow of humans over the course of her centrarían life. Imagine seeing the last 100 years of human history all for yourself. Astounding. So much so that I really feel like this should be in school reading material. Students could change the world/for the better/ if giving novels like that this when they are developing a sense of the world before grown up hopelessness sets in.
Only a true lover of animals could write such a creature centered fable as Kendra Coulter has with The Tortoise’s Tale.

A young giant tortoise is brought from her homeland to a mansion in Los Angeles. Over the next century and more, she lives quietly on the grounds behind the home. Fortunately, she is willing to share her observations and feelings with the reader.

The reader is best able to keep track of passing time by the music Magic (the first name given to the tortoise) hears and appreciates. There are also some current event clues. The focus, though, is on the beings with whom she shares the mansion. Joy and heartbreak, of both the humans and animals, are chronicled.

Cheesy? OK … maybe … if you want to be a curmudgeon. It is extremely well done, though, and I definitely recommend it. (By the way, there is a giant tortoise named Jonathan who is 193 years old and still in good health. He resides at the official residence of the governor of Saint Helena.)

The Tortoise's Tale is a debut novel that follows the fascinating perspective of a Galapagos giant tortoise, who has spent her entire life on an estate in California. Coulter beautifully blends the good with the bad, the happy with the sad, and the heartwarming with the heartbreaking. I enjoyed seeing the family aspect through Magic's eyes and her longing to be a part of it, mixed with the aspect of conservation and the importance of caring for animals.

Historical and musical references kept the story interesting, and I was invested in seeing how the family and estate's ever-changing staff grew and changed with each new generation. The story does slow down somewhat, about halfway through and I think it is mostly because of the limited perspective. And I was a little disappointed with the abrupt ending, but overall, I really enjoyed the story.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
* CW: Adult & Animal Death, Abuse
* Animal Main Character
* 150 Year Time Span
* Passing Historical References
* Multi-Generational Family
* California Estate

𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐲?
🥶 (No)

I would not say that the story of The Tortoise's Tale is similar to Remarkably Bright Creatures, but if you enjoy books like Shelby Van Pelt's where an animal narrates and is the main character, then I would recommend The Tortoise's Tale.

A charming story told by a very sympathetic narrator. A long-lived tortoise recounts the events of twentieth century America from her perspective, living on a grand estate in California. Because she is limited to what she gleans from people she overhears on the grounds of the estate, readers must put the pieces together for themselves to fill out the story. The tortoise is given many names during her long life by people who treasure her, but Magic seems most appropriate. (Certainly better than the painful pun “Shell.” ) She is a wonderful combination of curiosity, intelligence, philosophy and naïveté, and her pronouncements can’t help but delight you.
There are times when, like Magic herself, the story moves slowly, but the tantalizing events of the final chapters will make you glad you pressed on to the end.

3.5 stars

Look, I'm here for an ecocritical approach to any content at any time, so the idea of a tortoise narrating a novel really works for me. While this mostly works in practice, too, the idea does outpace the narrative.

The tortoise (I'll stick with "the tortoise" since this creature has so many names over the course of our time with her) lives in a remarkable dwelling in Southern California, and there she experiences what most eternal beings do: a horror show. Ya, she gets to meet a lot of people, live a lot of life, observe many cool things, etc., but there is a lot of sadness when you live for 150+ years and everyone else...doesn't. There are times in this novel when the slow passage of time feels palpable, and while that does bring readers into an aspect of the tortoise's experience, the losses the tortoise faces during that time may leave readers wondering if the issue is not enough time or, in fact, too much.

While there are some spectacular elements of this creature's experience, this is a relatively mundane tale that happens to have an especially intriguing narrator. I hoped for there to be a stronger match between the two but did enjoy this overall.

This is a wonderful story told from the POV of a Tortoise. I enjoy stories in which an animal is given human characteristics - anthropomorphism - and when I saw this book, was eager to see how a tortoise would handle all that. Magic, one of the many names he's given throughout the many years he lives on that large property in California, is believable in how he thinks and reacts to what goes on around him.

Magic shares the space with many people and he likes the children the best, at least the ones who don't throw things at him or knock on his shell. The special affinity he has with Lucy, first as a child, then as an adult, is wonderful and presented in a way that makes a reader accept that it truly could happen that way, with creature and human understanding each other.

This is a lovely book that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

I will be honest that before yesterday I had never heard of this book. But my local bookstore does a fall preview and they highly recommended this book be added to everyone’s fall TBR.

They mentioned if you liked Remarkably Bright Creatures you would enjoy this book and I did enjoy it so I knew I had to give this one a try! And I have to say, I’m so glad I did because I read it in one sitting. This book is about 250 pages and I read it in just under 3 hours.

I will also mentioned I sobbed through maybe parts of this book. You meet this beautiful tortoise when she is just a baby and she is captured. You get to see her whole life and what she experiences only through her eyes. That being said, there are plot holes and that it on purpose! You are only told through her perspective so if she wasn’t there for the information, she doesn’t know it. There are some characters you meet that you don’t get closure with. But there are other characters you get to see grow up and old through her eyes.

Minor spoiler ahead for those cautious about reading books with animals
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She does not die and lives to be a beautiful 150 year old tortoise and that’s where it ends. There are other animals and people that die through the boom but not our main character.

If you loved Remarkably Bright Creatures, you'll want to put this one on your list! Hopefully this book gets a different cover at some point, but, don't let that stop you from picking it up and giving it a try. I loved the writing style and I was completely enchanted by the tortoise!

Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. I wanted to like it because it reminded me of Remarkably Bright Creatures. I know others will really like it, but I just couldn't connect with the story, and sadly, had to DNF.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

Interesting concept of a book but reads very flat. The story very easily could have had more depth, whimsy, or history, but didn’t really deliver. The story was at times placid and shallow. The tortoise serves as a sort of arms distance narrator, but never fully delves into anything with real fervor.

Charming and heartfelt, The Tortoise's Tale is the story, told by the tortoise herself, of the loves, losses, and memories of a lifetime. The lifetime of a giant tortoise, who is lovingly witty and sentimental. A unique perspective about the many stages of life and the facts of aging told with a endearing set of eyes. A century of watching people live and die, and come and go, narrated by the most constant presence of all. Delightful. Highly recommend. #thetortoisestale #kendracoulter #netgalley #goodreads

Right after hatching, a tortoise is plucked from her ancestral homeland and brought to a collector's estate. Deemed Daisuke by the grounds caretaker, the tortoise explores her new home and comes to terms with the boundaries that have been imposed upon her and some of the other animals on the grounds. She gets to know some of the people around the residence, taking a liking to young Lucy. Lucy treats the tortoise as a friend and calls her Magic. As the years pass, the tortoise finds solace in the music that the residents play, especially the live music. The people around the tortoise come and go, but Lucy comes back for her. Time passes differently for the tortoise, with other animals and people dying while she stays steady. Finally, more than a century into life, Tortoise discovers exactly who she is and the legacy she carries; however, even this revelation does not come with freedom.

Told completely from Tortoise's perspective, The Tortoise's tale is an enlightening and emotional read. From the first moments of Tortoise's life, I felt connected to her and her well being. It was insightful to read about Tortoise's views on captivity and her interactions with the other animals in the estate, both free and captive. Even more interesting were Tortoise's interactions with the humans that came through her life, her deep connection to Lucy was amazing, even through prolonged absences. I enjoyed Tortoise's connection to music and its impact through the passing decades. While Tortoise definitely had good times on the estate, made connections with both other animals and people and enjoyed the constant flow of music, it was overshadowed by the constant knowing that she didn't belong there and that there was a place that she belonged in the outside world. A bittersweet ending rounded out this memoir from a tortoise's perspective.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

When I started reading this ARC I had idea what to expect. What I discovered was a wonderful, uplifting story about a tortoise. Yes, a tortoise, who had been taken from her homeland as a very young tortoise, brought to a southern California estate to live. And live she did for some 150 plus years. Magic, as she was named by her dear human friend, Lucy, saw it all through the microcosm of this estate. She enjoyed music and it is through the music that the reader can identify the time period. There are other animals on the estate as well as beautiful gardens, cared for by Takeo, the Japanese gardener. Magic learns where to find the tastiest flowers and vegetation, where to find the little ponds and water gardens located throughout the grounds, as well as getting close to the people she loves and that wonderful music.

Magic observes the world around her, the good as well as the not so good. She is lonely on occasion as she has no other tortoise companion, lays eggs for years, knowing they will never hatch without another tortoise. When other animals arrive on the estate she becomes their friend and when they die, she grieves for them and for the ones left behind. She sees the world through the long lens of time. Her last several years the temperatures stay higher and the smoke lingers most of the time, indicating climate changes in the greater world outside of the estate.

There are themes of conservation and empathy. We all, animal and human, belong to one world and it behooves those of us who can work for positive results, to do so. Our human actions impact everything around us.

To be fair, I was pretty lukewarm about this through the first 2/3 of it, then somehow BAM!! Everything came together and worked and I FELT it. I mean I literally felt it. I teared up numerous times and each loss echoed through my bones.

I was a little reluctant about the anthropomorphism here: giant tortoise as narrator and decades of life and people as seen through her eyes, with her understanding of the world. I wasn't really sold going in, but, wow, when it came together for me, it came together. The book made a great case for the interconnection of species and life on the planet -- this made sense to me.

All in all, I didn't start out loving it, but I ended up loving it. And this is a first novel? Amazing, and the author has a wonderful future.

Will I read more from the author? Yes, I hope I get the privilege.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

4.5

A sweet story filled with charm, friendship and love, but occasionally has another sad, or perhaps sometimes dark, side to it, but reflects the motives or lack of care for others. However, that is not how the majority of the story is shared.

There are a lot of events that are shared throughout this story, as the Tortoise shares his life story, the ups and downs, but overall this is a love story, a story of the love for others, and the love given to them.

A charming tale that I will not soon forget.


Pub Date: 04 Nov 2025


Many thanks for the opportunity to read Kendra Coulter's ''The Tortoise's Tale

The sentence structure and storytelling seem juvenile and not fitting for the intended audience. It felt like I was reading a children's story in an adult-sized book.

The Tortoise’s Tale was very well written, but unfortunately there wasn’t much of a story to be told. In fact, it seemed there was NO point to the story, but then I may have just missed the message or moral. I found it depressing. It told stories of families and groups coming and going over the lifetime of this tortoise, but most of the time the ‘going’ included many members and creatures dying. There was too much death. Other reviews compared it to Remarkably Bright Creatures. I disagree. It doesn’t hold a candle to that book. There is no comparison other than the narrator is not human.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Tortoise’s Tale.