The Whalebone Theatre
Cristabel Seagrave and her half/step-siblings, Flossie and Digby, are largely left to bring themselves up during the inter-war years in a country house in Dorset. Tales of adventure fire their imagination, and when a whale is beached near their home, Cristabel claims it for herself and eventually converts its bones into an outdoor theatre. But as WWII approaches, it becomes clear that none of the trio is comfortable in their allocated role and that war might provide opportunities to forge new identities—as long as they can survive.
This is a charming and moving debut novel from a talented writer. Even minor characters are well-developed—often idiosyncratic but always believable. There is a good deal of humour in the earlier parts of the novel, as the children navigate the strange world of adults—both feckless socialites like Digby’s parents, Willoughby and Rosalind, and bohemian types like Russian artist Taras or American poet Myrtle. But the book grows darker and more poignant as war overshadows the youth of all three protagonists.
The children are, perhaps, a little precocious. (How many four-year-olds would understand the Iliad? How many six-year-olds know the word ‘travesty’ and can use it correctly?) There’s a tiny historical error in one of the flashbacks: there were so many recruits in 1914 that men who wore glasses were rejected on medical grounds (and many fit and healthy men were put on waiting lists because of a lack of uniforms, weapons, barracks and instructors).
I quite like the experimental layout of the type during some key scenes, though some readers may balk at it. There are also some lovingly acute descriptions of nature, like the ‘sea foam popping on pebbles’ on the shore.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Quinn comes up with next. Highly recommended.
