ABOUT THE BOOK

‘I must work on a ship as a man… Yes, I must seek a new life, more adventurous than that of my fellows on this desolate salt marsh. I must find freedom on the seas.’

1843. Ishmaelle is born in a village on the stormy Kent coast where she grows up swimming with dolphins. After her parents and infant sister die, her brother, Joseph, leaves to become a sailor. Abandoned and desperate for a life at sea, seventeen-year old Ishmaelle disguises herself as a cabin boy and travels to New York.

Call Me Ishmaelle reimagines the epic battle between man and nature in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick from a female perspective. As the American Civil War breaks out in 1861, Ishmaelle boards the Nimrod, a whaling ship led by Captain Seneca, a Black free man of heroic stature who is haunted by a tragic past. Here, she finds protectors in Polynesian harpooner, Kauri, and Taoist monk, Muzi, whose readings of the I-Ching guide their quest.

Through the bloody male violence of whaling, and the unveiling of her feminine identity, Ishmaelle realises there is a mysterious bond between herself and the mythical white whale, Moby Dick. Xiaolu Guo has crafted a dramatically different, feminist narrative that stands alongside the original while offering a powerful exploration of nature, gender and human purpose.

REVIEWS

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Pick
A Kirkus Best Book of the Month
Shortlisted for the 2026 Jhalak Prize

An astonishingly ambitious undertaking, you’re in the hands of a genuine storyteller — New York Times Book Review

“There ought to be an award for artistic audacity and it ought to go to Xiaolu Guo for her new novel, Call Me Ishmaelle. It’s an astonishingly ambitious undertaking . . . While hewing close to realism, Guo immediately settles into the tenor of enchantment, a subtle register of near fairy tale that lets you know you’re in the hands of a genuine storyteller.”—William Giraldi, New York Times Book Review

“Guo makes a major change; for in her story, the young and sometimes gloomy male protagonist has been transformed into an adventurous young woman. It is from Seneca’s mouth where some of the best writing in Guo’s novel appears. Like Guo’s version of Ishmael, Ahab, and the 'cannibal' Queequeg, all who keep beautifully to the spirit of Melville’s characters, Guo’s inclusion of a Chinese sage to the story is another fascinating innovation . . . It is in her friendship with the sage, as well as her deepening connection to the whale and the wonders of the natural world that will transport readers back to Melville’s glorious Moby-Dick.”— Los Angeles Times Book Review

"A fast-paced, energetic retelling of Melville’s classic . . . In similar but simpler style, Guo combines nautical adventure with philosophy; she asks questions about gender, race, religion and relationships. It’s true that the novel stands alone, but it was the comparison of two books that intrigued and captivated me."––Denver Post

'A brilliantly written reordering of Moby-Dick, ambitious, brave, and strange, from the imagination of this natural-born storyteller. There's a cinematic, global sweep to its motion, and an unbridled energy and poetry to its dramatic words' — Philip Hoare
‘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

‘Well worth your time . . . By adding in new characters while adhering to the original story, the author creates something new, strange and thrilling.’ — Los Angeles Times

‘A clever and original skewering of a classic .’— i

'It’s a propulsive, powerhouse of a read that doesn’t just stand on its own literary feet, it does so with such skill and verve that it might – just might – have you turning to its source material in a new light.' — Marie Claire

‘Guo gives renewed forms of life to Melville’s immense novel… [and] genuine innovation… Ishmaelle has her own story to tell, and a changing audience will want to listen.’ — Times Literary Supplement

‘Guo’s narrative style is full of energy and Call Me Ishmaelle deftly incorporates philosophical questions about our relationship with nature and gender-dysphoria into the plot, constantly tugging at the heartstrings.’ — New Statesman

‘A smart gender-flipped version of Moby Dick.’  — Daily Telegraph

'Call Me Ishmaelle is a glorious female-led retelling of a classic, combining seafaring adventure with beautifully immersive prose. Exploring gender identity, race and our relationship to the natural world, Xiaolu Guo reinvigorates Herman Melville's story while staying true to its heart.' — Carmella Lowkis, author of Spitting Gold

'From the bones of Melville's Great White Whale, Xiaolu Guo has fashioned a novel as wonderful captivating and sea-soaked, that's seems both timeless and very much of today.' — Travis Elborough, author of Atlas of Forgotten Places

‘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

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© Guo Xiaolu