It is 1938 and on an island off the coast of Wales, Manod is trying to imagine her future. Her choices are stark: she must either stay and look after her father’s house, in the wild landscape that drove her mother to madness, or marry and leave. And so, when two English anthropologists arrive on the island, Manod senses the possibility of a thrilling new life.
But, as she becomes entangled in their work, and their strange relationship, the outside world she had yearned for appears a much darker place than she could ever have imagined.
Told from the shores of a remote Welsh island in 1938, Whale Fall is an eerie, poetic short novel.
Our protagonist perspective is through the eyes of a young child, which is a refreshing and intriguing choice to explore the main themes of colonialism and cultural appropriation. All of the characters are strong with brilliant development despite the book’s brevity.
This is a novel savour on a cold blustery evening, immersing yourself into the island’s mystery, isolation, and solitude.