An utterly enchanting， immersive novel about an irrepressible young heroine who becomes an undercover agent during World War II--a sparkling debut， by turns heartwarming and heartbreaking。

One blustery night in 1928， a whale washes up on the shores of the English Channel。 By law， all whales belong to the King， but twelve-year-old Cristabel Seagrave has other plans。 She and the rest of the household and their guests--her sister， Flossie （known affectionately as The Veg）; her brother Digby， the long-awaited heir to Chilcombe manor; Maudie Kitkat， maidservant; Taras， a hot-tempered visiting artist--build a theatre within the whale's skeleton。 Cristabel is an orphan， mostly ignored by her feckless step-parents and brisk governesses。 But within the Whalebone Theatre， she is fully at home and in charge， and her imagination comes to life。

As Cristabel grows into a headstrong young woman， chafing against expectations， World War II rears its head。 She and Digby become British secret agents working undercover in Nazi-Occupied France on separate missions--a more dangerous kind of play-acting， it turns out， and one that threatens to tear the family apart。

The Whalebone Theatre is a sweeping， transporting， completely irresistible novel， full of warmth and charm， humor and poignancy， passion and adventure--a story of love， bravery， lost innocence， and self-transformation。