Historical romance set in Wales

Submitted: 26th April 2024

Whale Fall – Elizabeth O’Connor

It is 1938 and Manod is a young woman living on a remote island off the coast of Wales.

The ominous appearance of a beached whale on the island’s shore, and rumours of submarines circling beneath the waves, have villagers steeling themselves for what’s to come.

Then two anthropologists from the mainland arrive and the life of the villagers and of the island itself will never be the same again.

Map of locations in Whale Fall

Historical romance set in Wales

BOARDING PASS INFORMATION

Destination : Wales

Author guide: Elizabeth OConnor

Genre: historical fiction

Food and drink to accompany: nothing to do with fish

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A novel to transport you to an island off the coast of Wales

Map of locations in Whale Fall

It might be a short novel but there’s an entire world in there! Set on a fictional island off the coast of Wales, this is the story of a woman who is hiding there from the world. When a beached whale appears on the beach, she knows that something has changed. There are rumours of submarines circling the island – these are times of war after all and the islanders become very unsettled as a result. When two anthropologists arrive to study the island and well, that is the sign of the outside world and the island coming together. This signals change and the entire mood of the island is not as it was before.

I was shocked to find that this is a debut. The writing is just exquisite and quiet yet packs a real punch. Take Manod for example – for a woman who lives alone on a fictional island, I felt surprisingly close to her. She felt very real and I felt nervous and afraid for her. The island for me was real – so vividly drawn and so clearly evoked that I could see every single thing the author wrote.

The cover is just dreamy and reflects the ethereal flavour of the novel. Sadly beautiful and a story that speaks louder than you first think.