Elizabeth O’Connor‘s debut novel, “Whale Fall,” begins on an isolated Welsh island teetering on the edge of change. Set in September 1938, the community’s fishermen have begun, encountering the Royal Navy at sea, a sign of the looming global conflict. The novel opens with a dramatic event: a whale washing ashore, which the islanders interpret as an ominous sign, although its exact meaning is uncertain. As O’Connor writes, “It felt as though something was circling us, waiting to land against the shore,” capturing the community’s uneasy anticipation.

The story is narrated by 18-year-old Manod Llan, who provides a keen insight into this remote, superstitious world. Her family is one of only 12 remaining on the island, and their lives are deeply entwined with the sea. The men, like Manod’s father, fish for a living, while the women prepare the catch for sale on the mainland. The harsh realities of island life mean that some men are lost to the sea each year, and the younger generation often leaves in search of better opportunities.

Manod herself dreams of escaping to the mainland. Having recently completed her education at the island’s small school, where she excelled in learning English from the Bible, she envisions a different life. However, her ambitions are constrained by her mother’s lament that “there’s no job for a woman to get except a wife.” With her mother’s passing, Manod is further tied down by the responsibility of raising her 12-year-old sister Llinos, and managing their household. Her dreams are fueled by magazines left behind in the chapel, offering glimpses of a world beyond the island.

The arrival of a beached whale seems to open new possibilities for Manod. Soon after, two English ethnographers from Oxford University, Edward and Joan, arrive to study the whale and document the island’s customs. They hire Manod as a translator, granting her a sense of power and awakening her desire for a broader life. However, she grapples with being viewed through their anthropological lens and their romanticized misunderstandings of her culture. Manod’s internal conflict between her yearning for freedom and her duty to her family and community is poignantly depicted through O’Connor’s narrative.

O’Connor grounds her fictional island in meticulous research, drawing inspiration from real locations like Bardsey Island off Wales’ coast. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, she mentioned her family’s connection to coastal communities in Ireland and Wales, deeply influencing her portrayal of island life. The novel’s setting is vividly rendered, capturing a world slowly being eroded by time and tide. The pervasive dampness, the sea’s encroachment, and the decaying whale on the beach create a palpable atmosphere that permeates the story.

The ethnographers, Joan and Edward, find the islanders’ customs enchanting, recording songs and stories that Manod translates—however, their idealized view of the island clashes with the harsh realities of life there. Joan’s condescending assumptions, such as comparing the island to “Treasure Island” and presuming Manod’s ignorance of the book, highlight the outsiders’ misunderstanding. Through Manod’s evolving relationship with Joan, O’Connor explores the dangers of romanticizing isolation and the complex dynamics of cultural representation.

Ultimately, Manod is torn between the allure of being seen by the ethnographers and the frustration of being misunderstood. Her desire to leave the island is counterbalanced by her responsibilities to her family and community, underscoring the broader themes of exploitation and cultural extinction. O’Connor’s “Whale Fall” offers a haunting and insightful examination of a young woman’s struggle with individual aspirations amidst the pressures of communal duty, set against the backdrop of impending global upheaval.

By Swapna Peri