THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

''A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall . . . charming'' Financial Times

''A tremendously enjoyable book'' Independent on Sunday

''Bloody brilliant'' Liz Fenwick, author of The Cornish House

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.

''A warm-hearted book crammed with ideas . . . very, very good'' Emerald Street

''A compelling and unusual modern fable'' Natasha Solomons, author of Mr Rosenblum''s List

''Beautiful, dark, uplifting'' Kate Long, author of The Bad Mother''s Handbook

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

''A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall . . . charming'' Financial Times

''A tremendously enjoyable book'' Independent on Sunday

''Bloody brilliant'' Liz Fenwick, author of The Cornish House

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.

''A warm-hearted book crammed with ideas . . . very, very good'' Emerald Street

''A compelling and unusual modern fable'' Natasha Solomons, author of Mr Rosenblum''s List

''Beautiful, dark, uplifting'' Kate Long, author of The Bad Mother''s Handbook