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 HouseIt 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