The Whalebone Theatre: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel by Joanna Quinn (English)

Description: The Whalebone Theatre: A Read with Jenna Pick by Joanna Quinn NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK • A transporting, irresistible debut novel that takes its heroine, Cristabel Seagrave, from a theatre made of whalebones to covert operations during World War II—a story of love, family, bravery, lost innocence, and self-transformation."Absolute aces...Quinns imagination and adventuresome spirit are a pleasure to behold." —The New York Times "Utterly heartbreaking and joyous." —Jo Baker, author of Longbourn One blustery night in 1928, a whale washes up on the shores of the English Channel. By law, it belongs to the King, but twelve-year-old orphan Cristabel Seagrave has other plans. She and the rest of the household—her sister, Flossie; her brother, Digby, long-awaited heir to Chilcombe manor; Maudie Kitcat, kitchen maid; Taras, visiting artist—build a theatre from the beasts skeletal rib cage. Within the Whalebone Theatre, Cristabel can escape her feckless stepparents and brisk governesses, and her imagination comes to life.As Cristabel grows into a headstrong young woman, World War II rears its head. She and Digby become British secret agents on separate missions in Nazi-occupied France—a more dangerous kind of playacting, it turns out, and one that threatens to tear the family apart. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography JOANNA QUINN was born in London and grew up in Dorset, in the southwest of England, where her debut novel, The Whalebone Theatre, is set. She has worked in journalism and the charity sector. She is also a short story writer, published by The White Review and Comma Press, among others. She lives in a village near the sea in Dorset. Review A Best Book of the Year: New York Times Notable, Washington Post, Sydney Morning Herald, Vox, Book Riot, Geek Girl Authority • A Best Gift Book: Seattle Times, Broadway Direct • A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK, in collaboration with the Queen Consort Camillas Royal Reading Room"Gorgeous . . . Delightful . . . Absolute aces . . . Reading it is like plunging into a tub of clotted cream while (or whilst) enrobed in silk eau-de-Nil beach pajamas . . . Quinns imagination and adventuresome spirit are a pleasure to behold, boding more commanding work to come." —The New York Times"Whats remarkable, especially for a first novel, is Quinns deft way of depicting this lost world—whether a subsiding seaside aristocracy or a training school for British agents or a Parisian theater in wartime . . . Her vision is so fine and fully realized that its hard to imagine her doing anything else—and hard to have to wait to see what that might be." —Washington Post "An immersive, capacious delight . . . The pages fly by . . . The Whalebone Theatre is a supremely accomplished feat of storytelling. . . Quinn excels with the nuts and bolts of her craft—characterization, pace, plotting, and well-calibrated humor and suspense—and brilliantly depicts the rugged beauty of her county on the crumbling bottom edge of England." —Minneapolis Star Tribune"The story is just as imaginative as its protagonist, involving spycraft, World War II, and Dickensian children carving wondrous worlds out of the mundane."—Seattle Times (Bookseller Approved Giftable Books)"This is a book that will be loved unreasonably and life-long, I believe, like I Capture The Castle." —Francis Spufford, author of Light Perpetual"Honestly, I want to sound a trumpet and put out some flags. It is pure heaven from first word to last. Its a debut novel, incredibly for something so assured and fully realised . . . Generous, filling, deeply satisfying funny-sad, every page crammed with life and experience . . . The Whalebone Theatre is one of those books that has you hooting with laughter one minute and feeling absolutely floored the next . . . Quinn is one of those writers who has her finger on humanitys pulse. An absolute treat of a book, to be read and reread." —The Sunday Times (London)"The Whalebone Theatre has all the makings of a classic. And Cristabel Seagrave is the most gratifying hero. The war scenes often left me breathless: they are as good as you will ever read . . . A tour de force." —Sarah Winman, author of Still Life"In an astonishing debut, Quinn creates an enchanting world and a cast of thoroughly endearing characters whom readers will be sorry to leave behind . . . A genre-bending delight." —Booklist (starred) "Destined to become a classic . . . Elegantly written and totally immersive, this is escapism fiction at its very best . . . Quinns debut is a wonder." —Daily Mail"The Whalebone Theatre gives you wings . . . Slightly alarmingly, it is Joanna Quinns debut—how on earth is she this good? . . . Full of brilliant set pieces that pop and crackle with tension . . . Quinn handles her sprawling cast with ease and compassion . . . Reading contemporary fiction is rarely that fun . . . Just dive in and slurp it up." —The Times (London)"Quinn has a sublime touch: Cristabel and her troupe are unforgettable, as riotous in comedy as they are heart-breaking in tragedy." —Frances Liardet, author of We Must Be Brave"My ideal novel . . . Quinn creates a world so rich with observation, detail, humanity, and heart that you are incapable of doing anything but drinking it in with greedy delight." —YOU magazine"Its astonishing to discover that this beguiling story is Joanna Quinns first novel . . . If you loved Elizabeth Jane Howards Cazalet series and Dodie Smiths I Capture the Castle youll absolutely adore this. Its touching, enthralling, and superbly written—an extraordinary book that deserves to be read and re-read." —Independent, #1 Best Overall of "10 Best Books to Read This Summer""Far and away my favourite novel of the year . . . Its a gorgeous book, following the lives of three half-siblings from the 20s and through World War II, the same canvas Kate Atkinson has used to such great effect. Love, grief, and comedy in perfect balance: its hard to believe that this accomplished novel comes from a first-timer."—Sydney Morning Herald "Just absolutely wonderful . . . It is so doggone readable, and you really care about these characters . . . The book just really keeps you reading."—Public Radio Tulsa"I was swept away by this compelling, beautifully written debut and its plucky heroine." —Good Housekeeping"Dazzling and imaginative . . . Peacetime whimsy gracefully segues into scenes of unbearable tension and heart-wrenching suspense . . . Combining elements of I Capture the Castle, Brideshead Revisited, and Charlotte Gray, this is a reading experience to be long cherished." —Publishers Weekly (starred)"Utterly heartbreaking and joyous . . . I just disappeared into The Whalebone Theatre and didnt want to leave." —Jo Baker, author of Longbourn"Playful, inventive, sharp, funny, The Whalebone Theatre offers the sort of reading experience that is remarkably rare, even for those of us whose happiest hours are spent with books: sheer, undiluted delight from start to finish . . . It breathes fresh, bracing air into the lungs of the multi-generational saga—and the very form of the novel itself . . . Most importantly of all, perhaps, Quinn gives us Cristabel, the sort of intelligent heroine that has been sorely missing from every other classic since Middlemarch . . . Its impossible not to be charmed by this book." —Susan Elderkin, author of Voices "Magnificent. As capacious, surprising and magical as the whale that lends its bones to Cristabels theatre: a tale of intertwined lives and braided fates as deftly managed and heartbreaking as a Dickens novel." —Rebecca Stott, author of Ghostwalk "Utterly captivating. An epic romp with characters you cannot help but fall in love with and a plot that takes you in all sorts of unexpected directions. Written with great heart, humour and humanity, its the kind of book you want to escape normal life to read at every available opportunity." —Elizabeth Day, author of The Party Review Quote "Playful, inventive, sharp, funny, The Whalebone Theatre offers the sort of reading experience that is remarkably rare, even for those of us whose happiest hours are spent with books: sheer, undiluted delight from start to finish. Set in a big house on the Dorset coast and spanning the decades between the end of the first World War and the end of the second, it breathes fresh, bracing air into the lungs of the multi-generational saga--and the very form of the novel itself. Few people writing today can match Quinn for the energy and precision of her prose: sentences begin boldly, proceed to hit every nail on their path, then land, gorgeously, in a totally unexpected place. In Quinns hands, archetypes are re-born: characters damaged by the usual unsavoury traditions of the British aristocracy are depicted with piercing efficiency, then found to be loveable despite it all. Catchphrases from the past are dug up, tossed wittily around, and suddenly understood for the very first time. Most importantly of all, perhaps, Quinn gives us Cristabel, the sort of intelligent heroine that has been sorely missing from every other classic since Middlemarch: disinterested in marriage yet capable of immense love. Its impossible not to be charmed by this book, its cast of characters, and Quinns constantly striking prose. It is both reassuringly familiar, and startlingly new: a big fat Victorian novel written by someone from the post #metoo years." --Susan Elderkin, author of Voices "Magnificent. As capacious, surprising and magical as the whale that lends its bones to Cristabels theatre: a tale of intertwined lives and braided fates as deftly managed and heartbreaking as a Dickens novel." --Rebecca Stott, author of Ghostwalk "Can there be a better proscenium arch than the salvaged ribs of a beached whale? Framed by these giant bones, Quinns story passes like a fabulous pageant, richly coloured and packed with incident, taking us from the lonely and unorthodox Dorset childhood of the extraordinary Cristabel to the poignant aftermath of her heroic Second World War. Quinn has a sublime touch: Cristabel and her troupe are unforgettable, as riotous in comedy as they are heart-breaking in tragedy." --Frances Liardet, author of We Must Be Brave " The Whalebone Theatre has all the makings of a classic. And Cristabel Seagrave is the most gratifying hero. The war scenes often left me breathless: they are as good as you will ever read. A wonderful debut. Actually, a tour de force." --Sarah Winman, author of Still Life "Utterly captivating. An epic romp with characters you cannot help but fall in love with and a plot that takes you in all sorts of unexpected directions. Written with great heart, humour and humanity, its the kind of book you want to escape normal life to read at every available opportunity." --Elizabeth Day, author of The Party "The circus playfulness of the language, the old story of the great house dazzlingly refreshed, the kind heart and the witty eye, the deep understanding of a girls need to be the hero of her own life--this is a book that will be loved unreasonably and life-long, I believe, like I Capture The Castle . " --Francis Spufford, author of Light Perpetual Excerpt from Book Chapter 1 The Last Day of the Year 31st December, 1919 Dorset Cristabel picks up the stick. It fits well in her hand. She is in the garden, waiting with the rest of the household for her father to return with her new mother. Uniformed servants blow on cold fingers. Rooks caw half-heartedly from the trees surrounding the house. It is the last day of December, the dregs of the year. The afternoon is fading and the lawn a quagmire of mud and old snow, which three-year-old Cristabel stamps across in her lace-up leather boots, holding the stick like a sword, a miniature sentry in a brass-buttoned winter coat. She swishes the stick to and fro, enjoying the vvvp vvp sound it makes, uses it to spoon a piece of grubby snow to her mouth. The snow is as chilly on her tongue as the frost flowers that form on her attic window, but less clinging. It tastes disappointingly nothingy. Somewhere too far away to be bothered about, her nanny is calling her name. Cristabel puts the noise away from her with a blink. She spies snowdrops simpering at the edge of the garden. Cristabels father, Jasper Seagrave, and his new bride are, at that moment, seated side by side in a horse-drawn carriage, travelling up the driveway towards Jaspers family home: Chilcombe, a many-gabled, many-chimneyed, ivy-covered manor house with an elephantine air of weary grandeur. In outline, it is a series of sagging triangles and tall chimney stacks, and it has huddled on a wooded cliff overhanging the ocean for four hundred years, its leaded windows narrowed against sea winds and historical progress, its general appearance one of gradual subsidence. The staff at Chilcombe say today will be a special day, but Cristabel is finding it dull. There is too much waiting. Too much straightening up. It is not a day that would make a good story. Cristabel likes stories that feature blunderbusses and dogs, not brides and waiting. As she picks up the remains of the snowdrops, she hears the bone crunch of gravel beneath wheels. Her father is the first to disembark from the carriage, as round and satisfied as a broad bean popped from a pod. Then a single foot in a button-boot appears, followed by a velvet hat, which tilts upwards to look at the house. Cristabel watches her fathers whiskery face. He too is looking upwards, gazing at the young woman in the hat, who, while still balanced on the step of the carriage, is significantly taller than him. Cristabel marches towards them through the snow. She is almost there when her nanny grabs her, hissing, "What have you got in your hands? Where are your gloves?" Jasper turns. "Why is the child so dirty?" The dirty child ignores her father. She is not interested in him. Grumpy, angry man. Instead, she approaches the new mother, offering a handful of soil and snowdrop petals. But the new mother is adept at receiving clumsy gifts; she has, after all, accepted the blustering proposal of Jasper Seagrave, a rotund widower with an unmanageable beard and a limp. "For me," says the new mother, and it is not a question. "How novel." She steps down from the carriage and smiles, floating about her a hand which comes to rest on Cristabels head, as if that were what the child is for. Beneath her velvet hat, the new mother is wrapped in a smart wool travelling suit and a mink fur stole. Jasper turns to the staff and announces, "Allow me to present my new wife: Mrs. Rosalind Seagrave." There is a ripple of applause. Cristabel finds it odd that the new mother should have the name Seagrave, which is her name. She looks at the soil in her hand, then turns it over, allowing it to fall onto the new mothers boots, to see what happens then. Rosalind moves away from the unsmiling girl. A motherless child, she reminds herself, lacking in feminine guidance. She wonders if she should have brought some ribbons for its tangled black hair, or a tortoiseshell comb, but then Jasper is at her side, leading her to the doorway. "Finally got you here," he says. "Chilcombes not quite at its best. Used to have a splendid set of iron gates at the entrance." As they cross the threshold, he is talking about the coming evenings celebrations. He says the villagers are delighted by her arrival. A marquee has been erected behind the house, a pig will be roasted, and everyone will toast the nuptials with tankards of ale. He winks at her now, bristling in his tweed suit, and she is unsure what is meant by this covering and uncovering of one eye, this stagey wince. Rosalind Seagrave, n Details ISBN0593663705 Author Joanna Quinn Short Title The Whalebone Theatre Publisher Diversified Publishing Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 0593663705 ISBN-13 9780593663707 Format Paperback Imprint Random House Large Print Country of Publication United States Pages 864 Publication Date 2022-10-18 AU Release Date 2022-10-18 NZ Release Date 2022-10-18 US Release Date 2022-10-18 UK Release Date 2022-10-18 Edition Description Large type / large print edition DEWEY 823.92 Audience General Subtitle A Novel We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. 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