I found this book to be a really well-written look into life in this small village in Wales and what happens when outsiders come in and start to treat them almost as if they are test subjects themselves. Manod as the main character was a great narrator for this story, especially as she's grappling with growing up on the island and not really knowing anything else and also being very curious and intrigued by the English people who come to study the whale, wanting to leave with them.

This book was very short and I absolutely blew through it because I couldn't put it down. It's the kind of book where there isn't all that much plot but it still manages to be captivating and memorable.

this was a great book from a debut author. the imagery that was used made me feel like i was there. i could actually feel the sea and the wind while reading. the way it was written made it a super fun and fast read and very bingeable. the storyline was great and very easy to understand and follow. what i thought was very interesting was the fact that the people who live on the island are almost “living in the past” since they are very secluded from other cities, they don’t have the latest technology, or clothing or tools. again great debut and am excited to see where the author goes from here!

Manod lived on a small island off the coast of Wales. There were twelve families, plus a minister and a lighthouse keeper. The island is austerely beautiful, their traditional life hard and harsh.

Since the death of their mother, she cared for her younger sister. And helped her fisherman father. She was intelligent, had been a good student, and could speak English. She had an offer of marriage, but imagined a different life. Perhaps on the mainland. Perhaps an education and a career. But responsibilities and lack of money and opportunity had kept her on the island.

A whale was beached on the island. And shortly afterwards came two mainlanders, a man and a woman. They brought their notebooks and camera and recording devices to document the islander’s vanishing way of life, the stories they told, and the songs they sang.

Manod was recommended to be their translator.

The strangers lathered praise on Manod, commended her abilities, and told her she could be anything–on the mainland. Women were going to university now. They fussed over her embroidery on handkerchiefs, asked to borrow her work to document.

Manod admired the woman ethnographer. She fell for the man’s golden words. They brought news of the world, the rise of Fascism and war. And hope for a different life.

But as time went on, Manod realized these strangers brought false hope, clearly lying as the staged images of island life, intent on making a splash with their book, using the islanders for their own profit and career.

The writing is gorgeous and detailed, bringing the island and its people to life. Manod is a wonderful character, her internal life driving the story. Inspired by real places and events, the novel captures a moment in time when the future met the past, luring people away from their rich, traditional world to pursue a world of choice and opportunity.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book.

Whale Fall is a debut coming of age novel set on an isolated fictional island off the coast of Wales. When a whale shows up on the shores of the island, they bring a sense of doom and a notion of a life off the remote island for Manod, a young women who has lived on the island her whole life.

This is a quiet, atmospheric novel with beautiful prose that created a fantastic sense of place. You felt the cold and damp, knew the smells and the sounds or this remote island where the birds out number the people by far. Set right before World War Two, the isolation leaves them lacking in both regular communication and knowledge of the outside world goings on. When two outsiders arrive, bringing their beliefs and values and outside knowledge, the author does a great job at shifting the main characters thinking and mindset in relation to the interactions and thinking outside her small island. The books wraps up pretty quickly and I would have like a little more at the end. This is a good literary read for a moody afternoon that and be read relatively quickly.

This is a deeply moving historical coming of age story set on a tiny island off the coast of Wales at the start of World War II. The Island has a dwindling population that makes it’s living from sheep and the sea. The people are a simple people with hard work and determination wired into their everyday lives; but the younger islanders have started to move to the mainland to make a better living for themselves without the instability of ocean harvesting. When a whale washes up onto the shore, life on the island changes. Two researchers from Oxford come to study the residents and Manod, our protagonist, volunteers to help them out. Manod has an intelligence about her that sets her apart from her neighbors. She is fluent in English as has plans that don’t involve marrying a man and continuing the life of her ancestors. She is seduced by the two newcomers and thinks that this is her time to leave. The isolation of the island enhances this longing, but the sadness and depth of her roots keep her adrift in her own life. This book is a bit emotionally difficult to read, I was angry and depressed all at the same time. The prose is amazing and completely takes you back in time to a place you never knew existed. This is a very powerful book that packs a punch and makes you look at history in a different way. Whale Fall is one of those Debut novels that sets itself apart, I can’t wait to see what Elizabeth O’Connor comes up with next.

I absolutely loved this novel, a work of historical fiction with profound ramifications for the present day. I found it beautifully written, thought-provoking, and creatively rendered. I admit I was originally attracted to the title because of its gorgeous cover, but I promise that the contents within are far more stunning. The narrative was captivating, the characters well-developed, and the questions the novel raises handled deftly, satisfying readers while providing much fodder to ponder long after the pages of the book are closed. This is a novel one can truly fall into--and indeed I did, as I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting. I was stunned to discover this is O'Connor's first novel, and I certainly hope it won't be her last.

WHALE FALL is one of those books that sneaks up on you, holds you spellbound, and leaves a big impression. Elizabeth O'Connor's debut can best be described as a cross between the thorny issues at play in Audrey Magee's THE COLONY and the spare but powerful novellas of Claire Keegan.

Set in 1938, it concerns the twelve families who live on an inhospitable island off the coast of Wales. Manod is the 18-year-old protagonist, a smart and ambitious girl who is starting to feel restless with the restrictive lifestyle and limited opportunities on the island. She and her younger sister have been raised by their widower father, a fisherman; Manod is fluent in English while her sister refuses to speak anything but Welsh.

When a dead whale washes ashore, Manod finds it both fascinating and ominous. As a metaphor, it could represent the larger world out there (which Manod has never visited), the impending war, or decay and rebirth (as the whale is stripped for its many useful parts). When two ethnographers from Oxford arrive to study the islanders' life, they take to Manod because she reads and speaks English so well and because she is observant and insightful. Soon she is working as their assistant and liaison to the other islanders.

She is equally intrigued by Edward and Joan, who represent a link to the outside world. While they learn about life on the island, Manod learns about life in England and, from Joan, how some modern women are choosing to live. A foreboding mood hangs over this triangle, which soon becomes fraught with the characters' varied purposes and ambitions. Each is keeping a secret from the others. This friendship is Manod's first experience with outsiders and profoundly affects her.

O'Connor expertly handles the complex relationships, descriptions of the island and its hardy residents, and Manod's slow awakening. This is a slow-paced, pensive story, but I found it completely absorbing, in part because of its palpable sense of time and place and O'Connor's lovely poetic prose. I cared about Manod, and I think most readers will sympathize with her as well. WHALE FALL is an auspicious debut from a writer I will continue to watch.

I loved this book. It is a beautifully told coming-of-age tale. This is a truly impressive debut novel.

I loved Elizabeth O'Connor's character, Manod. She is an 18-year-old girl living on a lonely island off the coast of Wales. Manod is a bright, lovely young woman eager to grow up and live a fulfilling life. When two Oxford students, Edward and Joan, arrive to research the island and the culture, Manod's enthusiasm for life in England proliferates.

O'Connor writes brilliantly about the juxtaposition of life in a harsh environment and the blossoming of a sweet, intelligent young girl. I felt so protective of Manod and her younger sister. I could have kept reading about her life for many more pages. Whale Fall is a beautiful debut novel with just the right amount of fact and fiction.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Whale Fall was very interesting and a very short read.

Manod has spent her entire life on a mostly isolated island with her father and her sister having lost her mother at a very early age. After a whale has washed up on their island two English researchers show up to write a book about homesteading on a small island.

Manod is eighteen and unmarried and she sees a path off the island with these two researchers. However, not everything is at it seems.

Whale Fall is steeped in Welsh superstition and coming of age fiction.

Booksellers this is a great hand sell for readers who enjoyed Shark Heart, The Water Cure and The Scent Keeper

This digital review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Pantheon for my review copy!

Manod lives on a Welsh island with her younger sister and father. She is curious, speaks fluent English, and wonders what life on the mainland is like. When Joan and Edward arrive to study the island, they ask Manod to help them translate and transcribe their interviews, and she learns more about events abroad, how outsiders view her community’s way of life, and her own needs and desires.

I so enjoyed reading this lovely novel - it is quiet and compelling. Manod is an endearing character and the author does a wonderful job of creating a moody, isolated, and hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.

Thank you very much to Pantheon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an early copy of Whale Fall in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, it appears I am in the minority on this one.

It was hard for me to stay connected to the narrative of this story. There was no flow, no transition from paragraph to paragraph. It felt disjointed, like one long stream of consciousness. There was also no character development. All the characters seemed superficial and flat, and I was unable to feel any emotions towards them. I thought the author did a good job with her descriptions of the isolated Island and its inhabitants. However, I wished she would have done more with the folktale elements. Sadly, I was unable to connect with the story.

I really liked this book! It was fast paced, had a unique setting, and a wide range of characters. I was intrigued throughout the story, especially learning about the islands history through Manod and her dynamic with Joan and Edward. I would have loved to learn more about Manod, though. I felt that her character wasn’t explored enough and there could have been more detail surrounding her thoughts/emotions/history.

Whale Fall is a quiet, introspective novel about life on a remote Welsh island. As the population dwindles, as residents leave for more opportunities on the mainland, a whale washes up on the shore. People are intrigued by the animal, and it brings the arrival of two English ethnographers who hope to learn about the island. Manod is a young woman who lives on the island with her father and younger sister. She speaks both Welsh and English and finds herself intrigued by the new guests on the island. While she loves her family, she longs to expand her horizons. The guests awaken a desire and potential opportunity to leave, as well as unearths desires.

This is a short novel that I blew through quickly. Manod is a memorable characters and one sympathizes with her plight. I can see readers who enjoyed Audrey Magee's The Colony also liking this one.

Thank you to Pantheon, via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

An intimate, beautiful debut. Manod’s complicated relationship with her home and the intrusion of others shines in this novel. The overarching presence of the whale adds a foreboding element, and the different excerpts from the ethnographers and passing of time gave such heartbreaking points of view. Cannot wait to see where O’Connor goes next. Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for a review.

It’s hard to believe this is Elizabeth O’Connor’s first novel - Manod’s life on the island and the island itself are so vividly described. This was one of the most atmospheric books I’ve read and I was immediately drawn in to the story. It was especially intriguing to see Manod interact with the two English outsiders that arrived, and experience her coming of age while in such an isolated place. This was a quick read but a rich and interesting story that I really enjoyed, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

“Whale Fall” is a remarkable debut …. I absolutely loved it!
I started reading it a second time soon after I finished it.
It’s so alive - so honest - so beautifully written: both poetic and precise.
Elizabeth O’Connor is a true artist. She takes us to a fictional island …. and fills it with silence and howls. Her work speaks with an understanding of the unconscionable…..
It’s literally the best debut novel I’ve read in a very long time. With two readings ….I experience different standout nuances with each time.
At only 224 pages — O’Connor packs a powerful punch with vexations to contemplate in regards to oneness, character distinctiveness, family, eroticism, love, desire & longings, loss, community, isolation, grief, freedom, betrayal, protection, confidence, beliefs, faith, and what it means to be resilient.

Lyrical descriptions of nature with the intimacy of the characters extend passages of dialogue to create a style that grows increasingly foreboding over the course of the novel.

Manod (totally endearing), is eighteen years old. She lives with her father and younger sister, (and their dog) on a remote island off the coast of Wales in the year 1938, pre WWII.

When a whale washes to shore, two ethnographers (Joan and Edward), come to the island from the mainland . . . and the storytelling of these relationships with Manod take on a life of its own.

“Whale Fall”…. is absolutely marvelous: culturally, atmospherically, historically, with sensational island tales …..
From mussels, to lobsters, seals, dark birds, jellyfish, fisherman, farmers, boats, the local Reverend Jeremiah Jones, school children’s curiosity, whale rot and smells, coming of age shenanigans, embroidery, Manod’s emotions, thoughts, and connections, with life questions to ponder…. this novel is alluring for numerous reasons….
but what gave this book its ultimate heartbeat for me, was the delicious writing and the narrative … [that could only have been written by one heck of a skillful author].
Elizabeth O’Connor just became a household name in this house.

A few excerpts:
“There used to be a king on the island, who wore a brass crown. When he died in the previous decade, no one wanted to do it anymore. Most of the young men had been killed in the war, or were trying to get a job on the mainland. The ones left were too busy on the fishing boats. So it goes. According to my mother, the women were not asked. My sister spread better over bread with her fingers, eating the bread
and then licking her fingers one by one. You’re too old for that, I told her, and she stuck out her tongue at me. I poured tea into three cups on the table, and watched it steam”.

“The island did not have a blue sea, it had a gray one. It was close enough to spray the house with water at high tide, and eat away at the paint. It reached to our bedroom, the window behind the bed. Sometimes when I woke up and was half-asleep, it seemed to have crept up to the house like a flood. The grass outside the window seem to have grown straight out of it like hair on a gigantic body. Sometimes a gull stared back at me, tapping it, yellow beak against the glass”.

“Bless the men who go freely into the darkness of the sea, so that we on the island may see light”.

“Sometimes, when something else is knocked out of place, you see this upside down world until balance is restored. If my father found a bird that couldn’t fly, or found a dead sheep far out at sea, he would come home and pull my pockets inside out, because he was convinced I’d stolen something. Have you seen the whale down on the beach? My father would go lunatic”.

“I like your lipstick, I said to her as we were walking back”.
“Oh, thank you, she said, as though she was surprised to be still wearing it. I wear it all the time at home. It feels strange to wear it here but . . . I suppose I’m just used to it”.
“Do all the women wear lipstick in England?”
“Not all, no. Many do. At the University it is a little frowned upon. But in the towns, at dances . . . It’s everyone”.
— the above dialogue was between Manod speaking to Joan, from the mainland.

“Every islander contains a seed of wisdom, an affinity with the land. It is as though the water of the body has spilled out of them to create the sea, so familiar are they with it. Sea widows, childless mothers, all wear their sorrow in their black clothing, their salt-worn skin. The sea is their taunting lover and yet the sea is worshipped in embroideries, in heirloom fishing tools, boats, and jackets”.

“Close contact with nature brings a happiness few city dwellers know — along with a lack of interest in material possessions”.

Deeply moving, powerful, insightful, inspiring. . . 5 +++++ stars.

Impressive debut. This is the second book I've read lately where I would have been okay with it being even longer.

But nonetheless I found this story compelling, compulsive, even though not a lot was with the plot. It's a quiet, calm, yet tumultuous book filled with erotic prose, growth, and the changing of worlds.

Excited to see what else O'Connor writes.

Quietly beautiful, I couldn't put this one down. At first, the story seems so delicate and innocent. Then as the author led me deeper into the story, i realized the darkness lying underneath. I loved it!

Whale Fall follows a young woman, Manod, who lives with her father and sister on a remote island off the coast of Wales pre-WW2. O'Connor's writing here is simple and enchanting. The pacing of the story and the small, descriptive details pertaining to life on the island brought so much character to this book. I could close my eyes and perfectly envision the island. I felt the isolation, the longing and the grief of Manod. I even felt protective of her when a man and woman came from the mainland to write a book about the island. Whale Fall is a coming of age story wrapped up in writing so beautiful you'll feel as though you're reading poetry.