A spare, atmospheric coming-of-age story set on the edge of Europe at the edge of WWII. A sharp critique of the way urban, upper-class people romanticize and exploit rural areas.

I'm glad I spent time with this.

Thanks to Netgalley fro the advance copy.

If I do end up reading this book, it likely won't be any time soon - I think it was merely the mention of folklore, grief, loss, and family that hooked me but I'm not sure if I would actually enjoy it in this context.

"Whale Fall" by Elizabeth O'Connor is a short and gripping tale of 1938 daily life of a fictional island off the coast of Wales. O'Connor's writing harbors the harshness of life on a declining island. Manod, an intelligent 18 year old girl, is confronted by mainland life when two English ethnographer's show up. She hosts them on the island. Although she senses injustice in their findings, Manod can't help but accommodate Joan and Edward, helping translate and collect island folklore, songs, and sea chants.

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Spoilers Below:

I loved this story. One, the writing is impeccable. O'Connor shows us the island through description and the inhabitants. Reader's get a full look at the ethnographers, Joan and Edward, through the eye of the observant Manod. Joan and Edward are from the mainland and they completely misconstrued life on the island in their findings. Manod slowly begins to realize that they aren't as honest as she thought they were. I loved the inclusion of the transcribed tapes of island lore and songs in the book too. Also I am a sucker for dreary dying coastal life settings.

I would recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy Claire Keegan, Louise Kennedy, Barbara Kingsolver, and other like authors. It has mature themes and totally entertaining but dreary tones. I also love the length of this book and I think that a shorter novel appeals to a ton of readers.

Thank you to th publisher Knopf/Pantheon, to Elizabeth O'Connor and NetGalley for bringing us readers this fantastic 5/5 star title.

Honestly this book much better then I was expecting. It is a pre WW2 historical novel! I had never thought about small island and what happens when the main land goes to war. I love how the author demonstrates how different life is on the island. I definitely recommend this book!

Elizabeth O'Connor's Whale Fall is an evocative read that hits almost all of the right notes.

What I liked:
O'Connor's prose is lyrical and efficient. She does not use five words when one will suffice. At the same time, every word seems purposeful and impactful.
The novel hits all of the right notes without being extraneous. It is a short read, but still manages to be deep. Manod (the main character) has quite a bit of depth and complexity.
The structure is straightforward. It's a literary novel, so generally the stakes are not life and death. In this instance, the novel takes place over the course of a visit from "mainland" researchers.
The novel manages to have the right amount of sentimentality without being preachy about it. Manod and the villagers clearly are at odds with the beliefs of the rest of Wales/the United Kingdom, but O'Connor does not make the mainlanders necessarily one-dimensional.

What I didn't like:
About the only part I did not like about the novel is that late in the novel, Manod shows a bit of naivety about a situation that is very obvious to the reader (and had seemed to be very obvious to her up to that point). It seemed out of place and uncharacteristic for a person who - until that point - seemed fairly aware of her surroundings. At the same time, this scenario (involving Manod wanting to leave the island) may have just shown how desperately Manod wanted to be a part of the rest of the world. It's minor, but to me it was odd.

It's a short, quick read, but that does not mean in anyway it is not worthwhile or memorable. This one is definitely recommended.

Set on an isolated fictional island off the coast of Wales, Elizabeth O’Connor’s new novel, Whale Fall, features eighteen-year-old Manod Llan, an assortment of islanders, two visiting English ethnographers, and the titular beached whale. From page one, the island’s flora, fauna, and harsh climate spring to life, creating a convincing backdrop for the hardscrabble story of a vanishing culture.

As the whale appears and decays, O’Connor tells of the ethnographers’ unexpected arrival and their growing, changing relationships with bilingual Manod, who translates as they interview, record, and transcribe the Welsh-speaking islanders’ folk songs and folklore and photograph their work, homes, clothing, crafts, and other artifacts. Everything Joan and Edward collect will form the basis of the book they plan to write after leaving the island. Beginning with a short, vivid descriptive summary of “an island year,” O’Connor divides the remainder of the novel into months: September through December, 1938. Interspersed throughout each monthly narrative section are interviews and recordings of folk songs and folktales collected by the ethnographers, along with occasional italicized sections consisting of their notes.

Readers get to know intelligent, ambitious Manod and the hardships, dangers, and backwardness that over the years have prompted many locals to flee to the mainland and that have now made the remaining thirty-seven islanders a subject of study. Like so many young people before her, Manod dreams of a better life. Previously confined to learning about the outside world through magazines, she can now learn from Joan and Edward, whom she comes to believe may be her way out. Yet life is not as simple as Manod first believes. She has much to consider and hard lessons to learn. While a captivating portrayal of island life, Whale Fall is also a coming-of-age story.

My single quibble about the novel is its abrupt ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pantheon/Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for an advance reader egalley of Elizabeth O’Connor’s outstanding debut.

Shared on NetGalley and Barnes and Noble

Whale Fall is a quiet, contemplative gem of a novel that brings to life a remote Welsh island just before WWII – an island of fishermen that has held out against the industrialization transforming mainland Britain, but whose lifestyle is on the cusp of extinction.

Eighteen year-old Manod is Whale Fall’s protagonist and, at slightly over 200 pages, the novel reads like a slice-of-life coming of age story. Manod yearns to experience the outside world but feels tied down to the island by her sense of duty to her lobsterman father and kid sister whom she looks after. However, Manod’s life becomes more stimulating when two ethnographers arrive from Oxford to study the island culture and enlist her as their translator and assistant. While Manod is eager to soak up the attention of these worldly visitors, she’s also jarred once she begins to understand how they perceive her home and her community.

O’Connor’s writing is gorgeous, especially her depictions of the natural world. She brings to life the stark beauty of the island and she tangibly evokes Manod’s sense of isolation and longing. O’Connor also give us snapshots of island life and community folk tales. For all that O’Connor’s island is fictional, it is fascinatingly inspired by an amalgamation of real places, some of which were similarly documented by ethnographers.

Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction, nature writing, and/or coming of age stories. BRB, gotta go plan a trip to a Welsh island now!

A sincere thank you to Knopf, Pantheon and Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy!

Stark and descriptive both. A moving story about a girl hidden away from the world, the advent of more cultured people and how her eyes are opened, her dreams seem more attainable. There is sorrow in lost family relationships and it draws the reader in to find out more, find out why. You live life behind Manods eyes, see the beauty and wildness and also lack and ignorance of the island people and their unchanging ways. It was a strangely wild read in a good way, I was intrigued, sympathetic and desirous to find out what had happened to leave such tragedy in her family and where she would end up. The imagery of the beached whale seemed to me to be representative, and the people’s reaction and its fading away presented an image of changing life and changing ways, the unexpectedness and loss of it, the majesty of the old life and the not knowing what was to become of them. Outgrowing

This is a short, beautifully written book about Manod, who lives with her sister and father on an isolated Welsh fishing island. One summer, everything changes when a whale washes up on the beach, along with two ethnographers from England.⁣
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As Manod becomes more and more involved in the newcomers, this book asks the question: At what point does studying other cultures become exploitative? And can anyone really authentically define a culture other than those in it? ⁣

I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the eARC of Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor – available May 7, 2024.

Whale Fall TL;DR
🐋 Historical Coming-of-Age Tale
🏝️ Themes of Isolation and Longing
📝 Poetic and Evocative Prose

Whale Fall unfolds as a quiet yet poignant coming-of-age tale, set against the backdrop of a remote island in Wales. The protagonist, Manod, yearns for escape from the island's confines, her aspirations stirred by the arrival of two ethnographers seeking to study the local culture. Themes of isolation, longing, and the allure of the unknown permeate the narrative, offering a glimpse into the complexities of island life.

The novel's writing style is both beautiful and lyrical, painting a vivid portrait of the island's atmosphere and the emotions of its inhabitants. While some readers may find the pacing slow-moving, I appreciated the depth of the character-driven narrative and the exploration of themes such as isolation and familial loyalty. The book's ability to evoke a sense of place and time, coupled with its nuanced portrayal of human emotions, makes it a thought-provoking and immersive read.

Overall, Whale Fall is a beautifully crafted literary novel that offers readers a compelling exploration of island life and the universal yearning for something beyond one's current circumstances. While it may not be a fast-paced read, its rich prose and evocative themes leave a lasting impact on those who venture into its pages, making it a worthwhile addition to the canon of contemporary fiction.

This was such a quiet and peaceful read. it was impossible to put down and while i don't normally gravitate towards these i loved it so so much,. i have been recommending it to friends already so i want to say a thank you to netgalley and publishers for this e-arc. one of my favorite finds of 2024

Set on a fictional Welsh island in 1938, Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor revolves around eighteen-year-old Manod Llan, a lifelong islander, who dreams of a life different from the one expected of girls her age in her community. She yearns for a future that would take her away from the island yet feels a deep attachment to the small community (fifteen men, twenty women, and twelve children), her father and younger sister Llinos whom she has taken care of ever since her mother passed on. When a beached whale washes ashore, their isolated island catches the attention of outsiders among whom are two ethnographers who visit the island to study the way of life of the islanders. Manod is a bright girl, well versed in both Welsh and English and the natural choice for a translator who could assist Joan and Edward in communicating with the islanders and transcribing their notes. Joan’s friendship and worldliness inspire Manod and Edward’s promises give her hope. But as she follows their research, she is disillusioned by their inauthentic representation of the people she holds dear and is compelled to doubt their motives.

With its exquisite writing, vivid imagery and immersive setting, Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor / is a compelling read that I found hard to put down. Manod is an endearing protagonist and I was invested in her story from the very first page. This is a quiet novel, the kind that won’t surprise you because most of us know that people can be exploitative, opportunistic and self-serving, but unfortunately, young girls like Manod who have led a sheltered existence in a close-knit community are not well versed in the ways of the world. We can see what lies ahead for Manod but are unable to look away. The author does not let you. She keeps you engrossed in stories of the islanders, the songs they sing, their traditions and their folklore, not to say their fascination with the beached whale. Manod’s pain, longing and internal conflict are palpable and her love for her sister and community will strike a chord in your heart. Needless to say, this is an emotionally impactful read and you'll need to go in knowing that it will be difficult to remain unaffected. However, despite the bleakness, the author does end this story on a hopeful note for which I am grateful.

Overall, I found this to be an evocative novel - a memorable read that will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. I simply could not believe that this was the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this talented new author in the future.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Set on a frictional island on the eve of WW2, Whale Fall is a wonderful coming-of-age story featuring Manod, a Welsh girl trying to find her place in the world and dreaming of a life on the mainland. Outsiders come to the island after a whale is beached, offering Monod a glimpse of a different life. Whale Fall is a fantastic debut, a quiet character study, and left me wanting more. Looking forward to seeing more of  Elizabeth O'Connor's feature work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC.

This is a stunning debut about loss, isolation, and folklore that absolutely blew me away! In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shore of a remote Welsh island that is simultaneously beautiful and blisteringly harsh. For Manod, a young woman who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like a symbol of doom as well as a representation of what is beyond the island’s shores. Two English academics show up soon after, claiming to want to study the island culture and write a book, and pull Manod into their project. This is a book filled with dignity, sorrow, and restlessness. O’Connor paints a portrait of community and a woman on the precipice, forced to confront an outside world that seems to be closing in.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t believe it’s a debut. It has some of the most stunning, visceral writing I’ve read in a long time. Not a single word is wasted. I’d read the same section again and again, just soaking up O’Connor’s words. The book is told from the perspective of Manod in short, choppy chapters that worked perfectly to offer snapshots of her life on the island. Each installment affects the reader, whether it's a punch to the gut, an uneasy feeling, or a moment of beauty. There is this haunting atmosphere throughout the book that brings the island and its inhabitants to life. I loved getting sucked into this distinct place and seeing it through Manod’s eyes. Despite being a quiet and succinct story at a little over 200 pages, the rich prose, sharp wit, and layered storytelling give this book so much power.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantheon for the ARC.

In WHALE FALL by Elizabeth O'Connor, Manod is a young woman living on an isolated island in 1938. acting as mother to her sister and helpmeet to her father after the death of her mother. Frustrated and trapped by her beloved home, Manod's life is turned inside out when a dead whale washes up on shore, followed by two ethnographers fascinated by an isolated community. Through these outsiders, Manod imagines a different life for herself, in the greater world outside, where your life is not tradition bound and defined by the way things have always been in this tight, insular community. I was rapt by the beautiful writing and compelling storytelling by O'Connor, immersed in a different time and place and circumstances that repelled as much as they fascinated. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

The whale in this novel is a symbol of doom that took me down the most interesting path. This was witty, and smart, and quiet, and an incredible look at ambition. Highly recommend!

I love how this book mixed the story with Welsh folklore in this beautifully written debut. Taking place on a remote island with rough seas, the story follows 18 year old Manod. After a whale is beached, a couple of mainlanders arrive to write a book. Not many people inhabit this island, and it can feel lonely and isolating.

This takes place between the World Wars, and it was interesting to read some of the folk tales. The island is fictional, but based off of several different ones. I loved the writing style, and found myself fully immersed in this character study.

This was a really great debut! Elizabeth's writing was crafted beautifully and carefully done for her storytelling. This is pre-WWII and a lovely story following Manod about an island off the Welsh coast with the arrival of two English ethnographers. I felt like I learned a lot about the Islands in Wales and the people who inhabited it, especially through the eyes of our young protagonist, Manod (yes, even with it being a fictional island).

If you love Claire Keegan's books, I think you'd really love this. The creatures, descriptive details of nature, just loved. A short but heartwarming historical fiction with a little tap to the heart.

Whale Fall is a beautiful debut that takes place on a remote Welsh island in the 1930s. It follows 18 year old Manod, who loves her family but yearns to explore opportunities outside of what her island can offer. The story starts when a whale appears on the coast of this small island and two ethnographers arrive to document the life and culture of the island.
This book was a quiet and lyrical book that captured my attention with its beautiful writing. Although it did take me a little bit of time for me to get into it, it ended up being a very quick read, and I would recommend!

This was very unique - if you're looking for something completely different than the average bestseller, this was a very refreshing historical fiction.

A dead whale washes up on a tiny Welsh island in 1938, and the residents are left wondering if it's a good or bad omen. Around the same time, two English ethnographers arrive to the island to catalog their way of life, how little they know about the outside world (and the war looming), and where their customs and folktales have come from. We follow Manod, an 18 year old serving as mother to her younger sister, who speaks English well enough to translate for the ethnographers - she realizes there's a lot more to the world than her tiny island.

At times, I really enjoyed this book and clicked with what was happening, but other times I was re-reading entire pages to figure out what had just happened? I think it's that style of British writing that for me at least, I need to see acted out on screen to understand the full range of emotions going on (aka Pride and Prejudice). Some things definitely went over my head!

It also felt like there wasn't a big climax to this story - things happened, it ended.

But overall, I'm really glad I read this, and I think there's definitely an audience for this book! If you're looking for something atmospheric, unique, like anthropology type content, this is for you.