Whalebone Theatre

Set on the Dorset coast between the world wars, this sweeping debut follows the unconventional Seagrave family and the fiercely imaginative Cristabel, who grows up staging wild theatrical productions from the bones of a beached whale. As childhood play gives way to the gathering storm of the Second World War, performance and reinvention take on new urgency, and Cristabel finds herself drawn into dangerous work that tests her courage and sense of self. Blending coming‑of‑age drama with wartime intrigue, this novel explores identity, storytelling, class, and the transformative power of art. Lyrical yet propulsive, it offers rich historical detail and a memorable heroine, marking its author as a distinctive new voice in historical fiction.