It is difficult to summarise this book; it’s an epic family saga (over 500 pages), spanning decades of time, full of colourful, engaging and well-rounded characters. The historical accuracy is en pointe, to the extent that I learned previously unknown facts about the period.
I don’t usually reach for historical fiction, but if it’s as good as this, I definitely will do so more in future.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book but it's very long and slow going. I noticed many times in the second half that I would read and realize I had zoned-out so I had to do some rereading. The second half includes the WWII time period, which I generally really enjoy learning more about, but this book just didn't do it for me.

I really wanted to like this book. But I have read and read and just feel like it is not going anywhere. I hate stopping on this book because I feel like I have not gotten to the best part.
The author has spent a lot of time developing the characters. Most of which I have found difficult to like. The young girl that is a main character is not treated well at all in the part that I have read.
There are so many great books out there, that I feel like this one is just not a good read for me. I wish there was a way to get to the best part sooner.

#thewhalebonetheatre #netgalley

This was a great story to read. I loved the storyline and the characters, definitely recommend this book!

Thank-you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book, I have to apologize, as I cannot finish this book. I have been trying to get through this book for 30 days and every time I think about reading it, I find something else to do, even cleaning things that do not need to be cleaned. I am only 25% through the book and I am stopping. The storyline is way too slow, with no action whatsoever. I do not connect with the characters, there is no sense of "what is going to happen". I love WWII books, but I have not even gotten to the war, and I just do not have a sense of need to know what happens next.

I was attracted to this book as a WWII story. Unfortunately, by the time the lengthy introductory portion of the book moved on to the WWII days I was struggling to wade through it. The book suffers from its very slow pace to introduce the Seagrave family that stretches over a third of its total pages. There are moments of beautiful descriptive writing, but they get lost in the pacing of the story.

Christobel, her half sister nicknamed “Veg” (which I found irritating) and her cousin/step-brother Digby were the central characters in the book. They were born into an aristocratic family that was rapidly declining. There are bright spots around the productions put on in the theater constructed from the remains of a whale carcass and the pace did pick up when Christobel and Digby, by that time young adults, became active participants in WWII. Even so, the book is over 550 pages long and in serious need of editing.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my voluntary honest review.

Thank you to the publishers for sending me this novel via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Overall I found the book to be well written and clever. Quinn has a way of plonking the reader in the middle of Dorset, London or France making you feel you are on the beach able to walk around the washed up whale or as if you are pedaling your stolen bike down the streets of Paris during WWII. I have to say the book was a bit slow at times and rushed in others. The section with Taras Kovalsky and his band of merry women was the slowest for me as a reader, although it did provide the backdrop for the theatre.

The book opens with me feeling very sad for Cristabel, a motherless child. Her father remarries, but the new wife, Rosalind, never acts like a proper mother to her. Rosalind is a self-absorbed woman who seems to use decorating the house and throwing parties as a salve for her own insecurities and sadness. Quinn was able to make the reader really feel for each of the children, who in modern times would be labeled "free range." Crista, from an early age is curious and strong and really acts like leader with her siblings. Later in life, she uses her strengths and French skills (thanks to the French nannies), to get her self placed as a courier in France during WWII. Throughout the book, the children have a unique bond and clearly need one another, yet have their own ideas about what they want to achieve.

Willoughby, the younger brother of Rosalind's first husband and later her second husband, becomes a non-likeable character, if not fully cheating on her but certainly with his excessive flirting and then later by leaving for Ireland, only sending a birthday card and with no other communication to the children.

The fastest moving part of the book and my favorite part was the storyline that took place during WWII. I would have liked that to have been fleshed out a bit more.

Overall, I would recommend this book to others. If Goodreads had 1/2 star system, I would have given it a 3.5 or 3.75.

I am not fond of giving a poor review but I just could not finish this book... The language is too flowery and contrived. It's as if the author was trying too hard. In addition to the language, the sentence structures are stilted (and sometimes incomplete sentences). While the IDEA of this book is intriguing, the execution is lacking. So sorry to say this is a DNF for me...

I confess I had a hard time getting involved in this book, but I kept going to see if it was going to develop, and I became more and more involved in Cristabel and her siblings. The children were basically ignored by parents, and when the carcus of a whale appeared on "their" beach, Cristabel claims it for themselves, and eventually, with the help of a roving artist, they turn it into a theatre. Their way life is interrupted by World War II when Cristabel becomes a spy, Digby, the brother goes to war, and Flossie stays behind to care for the family manor and contribute to the war effort by producing food. And yes, that theatre becomes the site of a full fledged artistic endeavor.. This is a good story about what happened to a family during war time. I received an arc, ant was not influenced to make a positive review.

Ramona Thompson

A wonderful family saga that reminded me in places of the Cazalet chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard in the best way. Sprawling from the end of WWI to the end of WWII this is a fantastic read with real heart and soul. The characters are marvellous and the story lines are compelling. I loved this.

The Whalebone Theatre
By Joanna Quinn

This is the story of England, just prior to, during, and after World War II. The Seagrave family of Chilcombe typifies the changing society of that period. Jasper, his wife Rosalind, and his brother Willoughby represent the society of duty, grandeur, and the status quo. Cristabel, Flossie, and Digby – the next generation – are the harbingers of change in the world.

Ms. Quinn manages to do two things at once with this book – she paints a wide canvas of a world at war, while at the same time, zeroing in on the individuals and how they are affected by the struggles of a society in flux.

The story deals with topics still relevant today – women as second class citizens; homsexuality; the class system in England as it gives way to a more egalitarian way of living. And of course, love and loss – eternal and unchanging.

After reading so many war stories, I was not prepared to like this book – I was wrong. The juxtaposition of the macrocosm and microcosm of society made for a different and interesting read.

I couldn’t wait to read this book after hearing the high praise it received. Sadly, it didn’t resonate with me. It was just ok. The first 50 pages of character set up was boring and not believable. Calling Flossie “Veg” for the first part of the book because her mother claimed she looked like a vegetable at birth, was annoying and added nothing to the story. The middle of the book, starting with the setting up of the Whalebone Theatre and the performances put on there through the World War II years was interesting and the descriptive writing was unique and fresh. The final chapter was not necessary and I think it would have been a much stronger book without it. I think this would have been better as two books – the first the childhood year of the Seagrave children – minus the long character setup at the beginning - and the second the adult years. I am giving this book 3 stars (2.5 rounded up) because the middle had many engaging moments and it was a good effort for a first time author. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am conflicted. While I can objectively appreciate the beautiful writing, and the ability to create a believable environment and cast of characters, I personally was not moved by or engaged in the story or those populating it. Obvious talent and skill went into writing this book. It should have hooked me. I am at a loss for why it didn't.

I forced myself to keep reading for quite a bit but gave up before getting halfway through.

That said, I expect The Whalebone Theater will engage other readers. It's why I've rated it four stars--and, even though it's not for me, it might deserve another half star.

This book was a bit of a slog. Very long and could use some editing. The characters were mostly unlikable and the writing was so descriptive that it eventually got boring for me and I skimmed or skipped full sections. I generally love books set in this time period, but this one was not for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars, rounded to 4.

I found this book enjoyable as I love historical fiction from this era. The characters were well developed, with unique and differentiated personalities. I did struggle a bit with getting started on it and enjoyed the 2nd half much more than the first. If I had been rating this on the first half alone, I would have likely rated it 3 stars.


This plot follows Cristabel Seagrave and her family from childhood through early adulthood. Each of the characters is unique, from her stepmother to her siblings, Flossie and Digby. There is a little more preamble in the early chapters about Cristabel's life that I don't feel was completely useful for the plot itself and took away from the pace found in later chapters.

I appreciated the involvement of art and theatre in this novel, especially during this time period. I liked seeing that art for each character means something different and seeing them have different appreciations and natural proclivities. The characters were self-aware of where they could shine, and this felt true to each of their characters throughout the story.

There is insight from the household (Maudie Kitcat) that seems meant to add context for later conversations in the novel. The format of this information was inconsistent... when it first was introduced, my reaction was "Oh wait, where did this come from?" I would have appreciated it more if it were shown at regular intervals early on so you knew that was a storytelling device being used rather than feeling random.

Eventually, the siblings grow up and are all involved in WWII. We see the traits from their childhood come to light here as Digby and Cristabel take their talents to occupied France. I found this part of the story to be much better in pacing while continuing to stay true to the character development established. While the story follows Cristabel, Flossie and Digby's characters are given equal "screen time" here and it doesn't feel like anyone is left behind in the story.

A family saga that runs through 1920s to the end of WWII. Based on the premise, I don’t think this book sticks the landing exactly. I found it lacking in depth and was also anticlimactic. Characters weren’t very likeable for me; it can be hard to root for them at times. As for the writing, can’t really say much about it but it’s not very gripping.

Full review to come and rating may change.

The Whalebone Theater by Joanna Quinn was a great read for me. Sweeping in it’s scope, spanning the years between WW I and WWII, this saga of an upper-class British family was engaging from start to finish. While the narrative begins and certainly focuses on the character Christabell, it’s not limited to her voice alone. Although many elements of this story we’re familiar to me, since it’s a genre I’m well-versed in, it felt fresh rather than trite or clichéd. I was quite taken with the author’s writing style and hope to read more of her in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

While descriptive and beautifully written at times, this book is painfully long. There were many characters that were unlikeable and made me not wish to continue reading. I typically enjoy historical fiction but unfortunately this one took too long to grab my attention.

Whalebone Theatre is a thoughtful story that reminds me to consider reality vs perception in all things. I loved the writing of Joanna Quinn! While I find the WWII period personally difficult to read about, Quinn’s writing intrigued me and carried me through the heartbreaking war scenarios. I found it difficult to distinguish some of the minor characters at times, however her presentation of the Seagrave family was delightful with so many unexpected turns. My favorite statement in the book is by the privileged Rosiland commenting on a wartime London bar “It’s not altogether vulgar.” I just found myself loving her for trying.

Highly recommend!! My first book to read by this author but definitely not my last!! Uniquely and beautifully written, this story and its characters stay with you long after you finish the book.