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Previously published as NOT FORGETTING THE WHALE
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
‘A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall . . . charming’ Financial Times
For fans of ELEANOR OLIPHANT, THE ROSIE PROJECT & THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.
It all began with the whale.
When a young man washes up on the sands of St Piran in Cornwall, it is clear to the villagers that this is not a regular day. What has brought him here? And what is the crisis only he understands, that threatens not only their community but all of civilisation?
With a global pandemic on the horizon, and a whale lurking in the bay, the villagers of St Piran must band together to survive. Intimate, funny and heart-warming, John Ironmonger tells a compelling story about the important things that hold us together, and how hope can be found, even at the end of the world.
‘Fun, uplifting, charming’ Financial Times
‘A warm-hearted book crammed with ideas . . . very, very good’ Emerald Street
‘A tremendously enjoyable book’ Independent on Sunday
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
‘A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall . . . charming’ Financial Times
For fans of ELEANOR OLIPHANT, THE ROSIE PROJECT & THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.
It all began with the whale.
When a young man washes up on the sands of St Piran in Cornwall, it is clear to the villagers that this is not a regular day. What has brought him here? And what is the crisis only he understands, that threatens not only their community but all of civilisation?
With a global pandemic on the horizon, and a whale lurking in the bay, the villagers of St Piran must band together to survive. Intimate, funny and heart-warming, John Ironmonger tells a compelling story about the important things that hold us together, and how hope can be found, even at the end of the world.
‘Fun, uplifting, charming’ Financial Times
‘A warm-hearted book crammed with ideas . . . very, very good’ Emerald Street
‘A tremendously enjoyable book’ Independent on Sunday
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Reviews
The lives of the residents in sleepy St Piran is changed when a man washes up, half drowned, on the shore of the Cornish seaside village.
An intriguing and thought-provoking story
An exciting and moving read
This is a tremendously enjoyable book. And as the front pages crowd with headlines that grow ever more grim, Not Forgetting the Whale offers a very welcome alternative.
a warm-hearted book crammed with interesting ideas. It's a book full of doomsday predictions with a Cityboy in a starring role that makes the world seem like a more hopeful place. It's also very, very good.
It's easy to see this simply as a modern interpretation of the story of Jonah and the whale, but this charming tale by John Ironmonger.. is considerably more complex.. it's a love story of sorts and, above all, it's about hte innate goodness of people and our connections with the wider world
A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall . . . charming
This book achieves what should be impossible: a heart-warming dystopia. Forget everything you know about apocalypses. This novel, set in Cornwall, will restore your faith in humanity.