Is it as WWII drama? A family epic? A long slog without much point? The Whalebone Theatre was a very mixed bag for me. Quinn takes her time wandering through different periods in Cristabel's life. The writing was enchanting and unhurried, delving into the lives of the unusual Seagrave family and exploring character motivation along the way. Yet, the incongruity between the WWII spy action I was expecting from the publisher's description and the character-driven literary piece was completely distracting.