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Not Forgetting the Whale

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Not Forgetting the Whale

By: John Ironmonger
Narrated by: David Thorpe
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About this listen

The story of a man who had given up hope....and the village that gave it back to him.

When a young City trader, Joe, washes up on the sands of St Piran in Cornwall, warning of a deadly pandemic virus and a financial apocalypse, he is rescued by the villagers and given a home.

From the retired village doctor and the beachcomber, to the priest's wife and the flamboyant romantic novelist, they take this lost soul into their midst. The village, Joe tells them, must store up food, and isolate themselves to stay safe.

But are Joe's fears unfounded? Why has Joe fled the city for St Piran? And what of the whale that lurks in the bay?

Intimate, funny and heart-warming, Not Forgetting the Whale is a story about a community reacting to a deadly threat, about the best and worst in our nature - and the search for a place to call home.

©2015 John Ironmonger (P)2015 Orion Publishing Group Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Village Fiction Feel-Good Heartfelt City

Critic reviews

"Forget everything you know about apocalypses: this novel, set in Cornwall, will restore your faith in humanity." (Elle UK)

"A gentle and uplifting tale of warding off apocalypse in a remote corner of Cornwall." (Financial Times)
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An interesting if not perfect one.
Brilliantly well thought out and offers a very real insight into a frighteningly possible world scenario.

Voice acting is typically brilliant from David Thorpe and truly brings every character to life in flawless fashion.

It does lose something towards the end as the scenarios play out somewhat differently than imagined in the build up but remains warm and relatable to the last.

A solid read and worth the credit

Not forgetting the tale

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I loved this story. Expertly read, superbly crafted and very absorbing. If you want a modern-day tale of the end of the world with a warm heart and a pinch of technology, then I recommend this novel about Joe Hark washing up on the beach in a Cornish fishing village. A kooky cast of small town characters, cleverly voiced by David Thorpe, round out this well-paced and engaging audiobook. Can't wait for more by John Ironmonger.

The warmest apocalyptic tale ever

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I warmly recommend this book. If you're a fan of Matt Haig, I think you'll like this novel.

A very moving story

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Wow! Who would have thought that prophecies were real? I read this book last year and really enjoyed it. Though it took a bit of getting into - the whole what thing at the start is bizarre- it turned into a page turner, so to speak. I love David Thorpe’s voice and along with the fantastical plot line with a hint of reality put this book as one of my fav reads of 2019. Fast forward less than 12 months and the ‘fantastical plot line with a hint of reality’ is our actual reality. Who saw that coming, well apart from John Ironmonger?

Prophecy of a book

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As a cornish resident i could picture the scenes. A very human story .

Loved it!

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Interesting premise, but rather unbelievable in parts. The idea that a small Cornish village would be so isolated simply didn't ring true, although I suppose it was necessary for the plot. And our hero was a bit too likable and suspiciously pivotal in the grand scheme of things. However, these small and slightly nitpicky points aside, I did enjoy this book, and the narration was very good.

Overall, a good read

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Hmm, this and several movies all about a pandemic a few years before 2020 does raise questions about predictive programming to prepare us. Don’t be so naive.

Predictive programming??

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