Call Me Ishmaelle reimagines the epic battle between man and nature in Herman Melville's Moby Dick from a female perspective - perfect for fans Madeline Miller, Percival Everett and Barbara Kingsolver
In 1843, in a small village on the stormy Kent coast, Ishmaelle is born. She grows up swimming with dolphins and eventually - desperate for a life at sea - she disguises herself as a cabin boy and travels to New York.
As the American Civil War breaks out, Ishmaelle boards a whaling ship led by the obsessive Captain Seneca, a Black free man of heroic stature who is haunted by a tragic past. Here, she finds protectors amidst the bloody male violence of whaling and discovers a mysterious bond between herself and the mythical white whale Moby Dick…
'One of the most valuable writers in the world' Deborah Levy
'Guo has gender-flipped this intimidating text with bravura and style… Call Me Ishmaelle takes us on a courageous journey: it's no aping of a classic, rather a vision of a young woman sailing out to discover not a whale but her own self. And in that, it happily succeeds' Daily Telegraph
'An astonishingly ambitious undertaking . . . you're in the hands of a genuine storyteller' New York Times Book Review
| ISBN: | 9781529929997 |
| Publication date: | 19th March 2026 |
| Author: | Xiaolu Guo |
| Publisher: | Vintage an imprint of Random House |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 448 pages |
| Primary Genre | Literary Fiction |
| Other Genres: |
Call Me Ishmaelle reimagines the epic battle between man and nature in Herman Melville's Moby Dick from a female perspective - perfect for fans Madeline Miller, Percival Everett and Barbara KingsolverIn 1843, in a small village on the stormy Kent coast, Ishmaelle is born. She grows up swimming with dolphins and eventually - desperate for a life at sea - she disguises herself as a cabin boy and travels to New York.As the American Civil War breaks out, Ishmaelle boards a whaling ship led by the obsessive Captain Seneca, a Black free man of heroic stature who is haunted by a tragic past.
Call Me Ishmaelle features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Feminism and feminist theory, Sea stories, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Narrative theme: Environmental issues / the natural world, Narrative theme: Diversity, equality, inclusion, Narrative theme: Journeys and voyages, Fiction: pastiche
Paperback, Hardback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. In Stock.
Call Me Ishmaelle was written by Xiaolu Guo and published by Vintage an imprint of Random House
Call Me Ishmaelle has 448 pages
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. In Stock.
