The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn – historical fiction set between the wars

Title: The Whalebone Theatre
Author: Joanna Quinn
Publication: Knopf, hardcover, 2022
Genre: Historical England
Setting: 20th century Britain and France

Description: Cristabel Seagrave, a neglected orphan, grows up between the wars in a Dorset manor house, with half-sister Flossie and cousin Digby who follow her on every adventure. When a 7-foot whale is beached nearby, the children are fascinated, as is a larger-than-life Russian artist who appears at the same time with his family and becomes part of the Seagraves’ lives. Eventually, the whale’s skeleton is moved closer to the house and turned into a theatre, where Cristabel is a born director/producer even at 12. Later, as Britain is drawn into WWII, the G.A. Henty fiction that inspired her childhood games and years of putting on performances in the summer turn out to be excellent training for Digby and then Cristabel to go undercover in France in this enthralling novel.

My Impression: A coming-of-age novel set during the first half of the 20th century at a rambling old country home – what’s not to love? Cristobel’s mother died when she was born, causing Jasper to lose the only thing he cared for. Although he provides his child a stepmother several years later, neither of them is very impressed by Rosalind and the feeling is mutual. Cristobel brings herself up, with help from the servants, and immerses herself in the adventure stories she finds, forgotten but inscribed with her father’s name (something they have in common if he only knew or cared). She longs for a playmate and absorbs from the servants that her stepmother is there to produce a male heir. Instead, Rosalind produces Flossie, cruelly nicknamed the Veg because she looks like a vegetable. Although Cristobel and Flossie get along well despite their differences, it is Digby who is her soulmate:

He only stops running when he is at the base on the whale, directly beneath Cristabel, then gives an admiring whistle. “What a beauty!”

“Isn’t he,” grins Cristobel.

“It’s like I’m having a dream, only I’m awake. A whale on our beach. Did you claim him, Crista? Oh, you did! You took the flag!”

“Remembered in the nick of time, Digs. Tell me, what’s afoot back at the house? Are your parents awake?

“The situation remains uncertain,” says Digby, who is six years old. He is Cristabel’s long-awaited brother, even though he isn’t actually her brother.

Having companions change Cristobel’s life as does the appearance of Taras Kovalsky, a Russian painter with no money but an entourage of girlfriends, children, and a wife. Christabel’s stepmother likes the idea of being a patron of the arts and allows him to live in a cottage on the estate. He is a larger-than-life character – Cristabel briefly thinks he is Poseidon when she first sees him emerging from the ocean – and he becomes a friend of the family over the years, encouraging Cristabel’s theatrical ambitions (and smoothing the way with Rosalind) and mingling with Rosalind’s guests to secure commissions as needed. The story follows the Seagraves from 1919 to 1945 and includes not only the narrative but also the occasional letter, list, and excerpt from one of the plays that use everyone from the household to fill out the cast. The plot meanders at times but in a way that I found delightful – much of the time I could not tell what the author had in mind, which I enjoyed because so many books are predictable.  I own one or two Henty books, speaking of predictable, which provide rollicking adventure, history and British Empire patriotism, duly reflected by Cristabel and Digby.

I much prefer the UK cover!

My only quibbles are that the children are a bit too precocious and articulate given they run wild and the girls receive a completely inadequate education from various French governesses (my friend Cynthia felt the author made this work). Although Cristabel’s desire to help advance the war effort by going undercover in France was a significant part of the plot, perhaps the author realized we have all read plenty of books set in WWII France so did not provide a lot of detail about Cristabel’s work there. Most of the significant action takes place in Britain but this made the story a little uneven.  Once we reach WWII the action is a bit all over the place, although still fascinating. I like long books and was sad when it ended.  

Source: Library. This is my third historical novel of the year for Marg’s 2023 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge; 5 stars.