Inside The Whale

Plot

Inside the Whale marks the arrival of a blazing new talent: fizzing with eclectic characters and poignant imagery, Rooney’s heartwrenching debut is a story to relish, and to recommend passionately to everyone you know. Stevie Stanford, recently widowed, must tell her family the truth — but the past is complicated and difficult to untangle. Meanwhile Michael’s memories are squashed into a shoebox (along with Queen Mathilda’s Dickin Medal for Bravery — for pigeons) ready for his move to hospital. Michael has never been good at putting things into words; he’s more comfortable with the click of Morse code. But Anna, a young healthcare assistant, has the patience — and rare tenderness — to eke out his story. And so he begins. Heartbreaking and life-affirming, funny and deeply moving, this is the unforgettable story of Stevie and Michael — ordinary lovers torn apart by the extraordinary events of war.