The Whalebone Theatre
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The Whalebone Theatre
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Narrated by:
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Olivia Vinall
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By:
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Joanna Quinn
About this listen
Brought to you Penguin.
'Maudie, why are all the best characters men?'
Maudie closes the book with a clllump. 'We haven't read all the books yet, Miss Cristabel. I can't believe that every story is the same.'
Cristabel Seagrave has always wanted her life to be a story, but there are no girls in the books in her dusty family library. For an unwanted orphan who grows into an unmarriageable young woman, there is no place at all for her in a traditional English manor.
But from the day that a whale washes up on the beach at the Chilcombe estate in Dorset, and 12-year-old Cristabel plants her flag and claims it as her own, she is determined to do things differently.
With her step-parents blithely distracted by their endless party guests, Cristabel and her siblings, Flossie and Digby, scratch together an education from the plays they read in their freezing attic, drunken conversations eavesdropped through oak-panelled doors, and the esoteric lessons of Maudie their maid.
But as the children grow to adulthood and war approaches, jolting their lives on to very different tracks, it becomes clear that the roles they are expected to play are no longer those they want. As they find themselves drawn into the conflict, they must each find a way to write their own story....
©2022 Joanna Quinn (P)2022 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Whalebone Theatre
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- joanna
- 10-06-22
So glad i took a chance on this one!
Beautifully written story and outstanding narration , A compelling and easy listen, best book ive listened too in a long time!
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss HC Steele
- 21-06-22
Sublime
Perfect in every way. Best read of the Summer. Heartbreaking, haunting, funny and poignant. Look forward to reading more works by this author.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 21-08-22
Wonderful book
I really loved this book and the characters that will always stay with me. Just wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-09-22
Melancholy
A beautifully written story and Olivia's performance fantastic, her accents spot one.
It took me a while to get into this audiobook, it has an air of terrible sadness and loss but I kept coming back to it because of how beautifully the story unfolds.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 31-08-22
Captivating.
From the first sentence I was captivated. I listened in the car, in the bath, cleaning bricks (don't ask), going to sleep and when I first woke. The narrative moves seamlessly between perspectives and genres and the world /lives created are believable and beautiful. This is truly one of the best novels that I have read in a long time and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. Cusack
- 19-11-22
Beautiful and engaging story, well told
Thoroughly enjoyed this story beautifully narrated. Engaging portrayal of a changing life, particularly poignant and relevant in these challenging times.
Great central character, the story takes some unexpected turns as she moves through turbulent period of history that impacted the way we live today.
Highly recommended
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. Law-Brown
- 24-11-22
Unexpected
Had I realised that a goodly portion of the book would involve WWII, I would never have bought the book. The story, and narration, was was intense, yet gentle at the same time. Thought provoking and harrowing, without being gratuitous or crass, dramatic and humourous, thoroughly enjoyable
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mrs Eloise Duckworth
- 01-02-23
A heartfelt book
I loved this book. Very moving - a sad but kind story. Really recommend. Beautifully read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Elizabeth
- 16-01-23
Beautiful story
Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook.
Drama unfolds slowly between world wars, and two generations of the Seagrave family as children grow up in a country estate in Dorset. I didn’t fully anticipate just how detailed the depiction of WWII would be. Two the of the children end up in occupied France. Joanna Quinn beautifully and sensitively tells stories of the recruitment of agents, drops into France, separation, and how protagonist Christabel watches a train filled with prisoners disappear.
I really felt for these characters. It’s a long one but very enjoyable,
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Julie
- 20-09-23
Brilliant family drama
Beautifully narrated story which I really enjoyed. I actually cried at some points and smiled at others. Lots of characters to get to know.
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