Elizabeth O’Connor’s Whale Fall is a beautifully atmospheric debut that immerses readers in the isolated, windswept world of a remote Welsh island. With prose that shimmers as much as it stings, O’Connor deftly weaves themes of loss, longing, and the tension between community and individuality.

Set in 1938, the story centers on Manod, a young woman burdened by familial duty and the weight of an insular life. The unexpected arrival of a dead whale—a powerful symbol of both doom and possibility—coincides with the intrusion of two English ethnographers, whose presence disrupts the fragile balance of the island. As Manod grapples with a budding desire to explore life beyond the island, the novel explores the dissonance between self-discovery and communal expectations.

What Worked Well:
O’Connor’s prose is luminous, bringing the island’s stark beauty and hardships vividly to life. The novel’s exploration of identity, sensuality, and cultural preservation is thought-provoking, with an undercurrent of tension that sustains interest. For readers drawn to literary fiction steeped in rich imagery and introspection, Whale Fall is a rewarding experience.

Room for Improvement:
Despite its evocative prose, the pacing is slow, and the narrative feels meandering at times. Manod’s internal struggles and the ethnographers’ presence are compelling, but the stakes don’t always feel immediate. This might make the novel less engaging for readers seeking a stronger plot or emotional payoff.

Final Thoughts:
Whale Fall is a quiet, contemplative novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven stories steeped in folklore and isolation. While its deliberate pace and understated drama may not suit every taste (I rated it 3 stars), the book’s piercing emotional accuracy and evocative sense of place make it a memorable exploration of ambition, belonging, and the cost of stepping outside one’s world. Perfect for fans of literary fiction and book clubs interested in dissecting themes of cultural identity and personal transformation.

Whale Fall was very much a mood read for me. My favorite aspect of this book is the evocative writing style. The author includes a lot of descriptive colors, textures, sounds, and temperatures. It was a feast for the senses. However, there were parts of the book that could have been improved. The combination of the slow paced plot with a low page count (224 pages) caused some issues. There was not enough development of the characters and story. I enjoyed reading about Manod, her family, and the community that lived on the island, but it didn't feel like enough. I wanted to know more about them. There were also some sections of folklore in the book that created some disruptions in the flow of the story.

This beautiful, gentle novel is set on an island off the coast of whales just before WWII. With lease than 50 inhabitants, Manod dreams of leaving the island until a whale is washed up on shore and word of the island spreads in the news. Ethnographers arrive and Manod translates Welsh into English for them as they gather stories, songs and folklore.

Falling just around 200 pages, this was a quick but deceptively complex read. It was a beautiful take on grief and heartbreak and I am very much looking forward to more by this debut author.

Though fictional, the Welsh island where Manod lives in 1938 is based on any number of small island communities in the British Isles, many of which were evacuated by government decree due to declining populations and harsh living conditions. Manod's life on the island is disrupted by a whale that washes up on shore, and the arrival of two English scholars who've come to research their way of life. Because she is quite intelligent and her English is very good, Manod becomes a sort of secretary and transcriber for the researchers, and while she is initially as charmed with them as they seem to be with the island, she comes to realize they are not to be her ticket out of her current situation.

O'Conner's writing is lyrical and atmospheric, painting vivid pictures of the island's harsh beauty and Manod's internal struggles.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful yet bleak look at a small community struggling to survive through the eyes of a young woman named Manod. Set on a fictional Welsh island, this story starts with a whale washing onto the beach of this island, which the people see as a bad omen. Soon after, two English ethnographers come to the island to document the dying community.

Though this book was bleak and sad, the prose was beautiful, told through folk tales and Manod's quietly strong voice. I really enjoyed the physical representation of the community's death shown in the rotting carcass of the whale. This constant reminder of real and societal decay was very interesting.

I also enjoyed that it brought up some of the ethical concerns behind ethnography, and if there is a way to study a people without it being exploitative. Overall a short but powerful read.

Publication date: 7 May 2024

I really enjoyed this book. The coastal setting reminded me of The Banshees of Inisherin and Ammonite. The cover was striking and ultimately is why I picked this book up. I kept reading for Manod's story, the tension between her and the English couple, and the descriptions of the spare island. The whale is really in the background of the story and I forgot about it at times.

I started this and enjoyed it, but unfortunately I ended up hospitalized and the NetGalley app ran out of time. I added it to my list to get a copy!

A mesmerizing journey into the depths of the human spirit, artfully blending nature's raw beauty with profound emotional insight. O'Connor's lyrical prose and vivid imagery create an unforgettable experience that lingers long after the final page. This book is a stunning testament to resilience and the interconnectedness of life.

Reminiscent of Claire Keegan and Louise Kennedy, this novel is a knockout. The description of life on the Welsh Island was organic. The prose is beautiful. I absolutely loved this. This book would make an excellent addition to any book club.

This book was such an unexpected 5 star for me. Since I have the kindle file, I was shocked at how short it is and how truly well rounded it is. Every page made me feel like I was on the tiny island with the wind howling and the scent of salt and sea. This is an impeccable piece of litfic. One I highly recommend

Elizabeth O'Connor's Whale Fall is a beautifully written story of isolation and desire. Manod has lived on a remote Welsh island all of her life and is desperate to see something else of the world. When two men visit the island for the purpose of research, Manod begins to feel a pull away from her community and towards the world at large. O'Connor's prose is lush and atmospheric. The story was perfectly plotted and I felt everything tied up just right at the end. A fantastic debut.

This was a beautiful and haunting story. I’m not normally a historical fiction fan, but I truly enjoyed this! The main character had such a strong voice, and I was very interested in her development arc. The setting was rich and real. The length was also perfect. I walked away feeling emotionally moved. So glad I tried this one!

Great debut novel. The story explores isolation, ambition, and community. , The writing is atmospheric and captures the raw beauty of the island. I look forward to seeing more of this author’s work.

This book is so beautiful and so sad. A deeply moving illustration of a a vanished culture and their exploitation. Very moving.

4.5 Star.

I really, really liked this! It very nearly was a 5 Star, but there were a few, minor things that took it down a half point. In saying that, this is still an absolutely phenomenal book that was relatively short and super impactful. I think I may have also read this at the wrong time, so I'll definitely be rereading it in the winter to get the full effect.

Whale Fall is about an 18 year old woman named Manod who lives with her family and a small, tight-knit community on a small, coastal Island near Whales. In 1938, right before the events of World War II, the body of a whale washes up ashore, starting the events of the book. A couple comes to study the inhabitants of the island and Manod is tasked with acting as the interpreter between the Welsh natives and the couple. Throughout their time, Manod experiences a wide-range of emotions due to the newcomers and starts to become almost seduced by their presence: the way they dress and speak - and especially the stories they tell.

All is not what it seems, though, and eventually we come to learn the true motives of the couple.

If you're looking for an atmospheric book, this is it. You get such a feel for the island and it was without a doubt, one of my favorite parts of this book. But, I was blown away by O'Connor's reflection on want and desire. Manod's desire for a new life is shown very early on and is only exemplified when the couple come to the island. I think it's a tragic look at the exploitation of youth and of nativity. The themes of indigenous groups, their culture, and the negative impacts that come from outsider influence in here were phenomenally executed and I hope this becomes a modern classic.

What brought down the rating was the writing style and pacing. There were times where we would jump ahead and I was a bit confused and the paragraphs (or lack thereof) was just not it.

It is worth the read, though and if you like historical fiction that, in my opinion, deviates a bit from the traditional Kristin Hannah-style books, I think you'll really like this. Read it on a gloomy, winter day for the full effect.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Great debut novel. The story explores isolation, ambition, and community. , The writing is atmospheric and captures the raw beauty of the island. I look forward to seeing more of this author’s work.
Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved Whale Fall! I loved the exploration of expectations, especially for women, in a closed community. I liked the coming of age story as well as the themes of language and interpretation., It was very atmospheric with its descriptions of the sea and the weather.

I find myself to be a bit of sucker for the stories of islands just off the coast of a larger landmass. The small communities that develop on their own create a thriving culture that shadows the prevailing one, but remains uniquely its own. Whale Fall follows one of these islands, peppering its narration with Welsh folk songs of the sea to drive home how closely they revolve around the ocean and its allowances. We follow the story of a young Manod, who lives on this island but doesn't feel as part of it as she wishes. When two researchers come from England to study the island, we see the machinations of colonization on a micro scale. The whale body on the beach, snatched away by researchers. The cultural practices of the island people, morphed and altered until it resolves into something that will better sell books on the mainland. The innocence of youth, snatched away by and older researcher with little regard, and finally, numerous promises made of a better life and future end in total and utter abandonment.

This book was a bit different than my usual read, but I enjoyed it. I could clearly envision this Welsh island and the people on it. It felt very atmospheric. I do wish it had a bit more plot movement, but still an enjoyable read overall.