It took Joanna Quinn a decade to finish what is already being talked about in the U.K. as the book of the summer. The Whalebone Theatre is a rich family saga set between the two world wars, spanning Dorset, London and occupied France. It is the sort of book that makes real life dim as you become absorbed in its heartbreaks, love affairs and revelations. A debut novel this ambitious doesn’t come along often. What makes it even rarer is that its author, a 46-year-old single mum living in Dorset, had almost given up hope that it would be published.
Quinn stirs sugar into her milky tea and apologizes for feeling “fuzzy” after her book launch the previous night. She is adjusting to being a published author. Hers is a lockdown success story.
