The Whalebone Theatre – Joanna Quinn

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Chosen by Jodie

The story of Cristabel Seagrave from orphaned girl to WWIII spy. It is told in five acts, each portraying a different slice of her life and the stories of all the people in it. One Act is about the establishment of a stage in a whale’s bones, introducing a life of storytelling. Via each part of her life, Cristabel becomes a stronger, more resilient and capable young woman, culminating in her war experience.

Every route through the lightless city is now an unpredictable one. It is a shadowy moonscape and the bombs change its shape every night. Landmarks evaporate, streets are roped off, and dust falls over everything.

● I feel a lot of readers will enjoy this work of historical fiction. It is well written and researched, has colourful characters and some really descriptive narrative scenes. But, in my opinion, it could easily have been half the length and delved deeper into the characters’ lives and plot. It wasn’t unenjoyable, it just lacked a bit of punch. – Jodie

● Following the Seagrave children’s lives from early childhood through to post-WWII, this story was rich with detail about an extraordinary time in history. I’d never read about the activities of secret agents before and it was eye opening. All the characters were brought to life well, but interestingly there were few villains which flattened the emotional highs for me. There was potential for unlikeable characters such as Digby’s mother, among others, to bring more angst to the story and make it a really powerful read. But it didn’t happen which meant there were very few peaks to the story and I felt a bit let down. – Jo

● This was pleasant enough, but in this genre I have read books that are far more engaging than The Whalebone Theatre. There were certainly sparks of interest but they were far and few between. The main character, Christa, often heard about very interesting and exciting things that were happening for other people and I couldn’t help but wonder why the author wanted us to read about the action from afar. – Suzy

● The Whalebone Theatre is clearly well researched and written. There are five acts covering different times and events in Cristabel’s life and each is as thorough as a stand alone novella. However there was no real climax or pivotal event. Even the makeshift theatre inside a whale carcass doesn’t get as much air time as the title suggests. The characters are well developed but each is confined to the expectations of its role (orphaned girl, Nazi officer, stepmother etc). It seems silly to say but I always felt like I was reading a book, whereas many other authors are able to make me feel as though I lived the experience they are writing about. – Rachel

Published 2022
Knopf
588 pages