Well now, this is a beauty! The Fisherman’s Gift is full of atmosphere and with its beautiful lyrical notes, sits in an almost otherworldly place. A remote fishing village in Scotland at the turn of the 20th century becomes both a sanctuary and a place of emotional torture to Dorothy. Author Julia Kelly writes with an exquisite pen, she understands the space in-between, where feelings tuck just out of sight and wait, biding their time. She has created a village of people that I felt I knew, each one an individual, every one vital to the story if only on the page for a moment. The perils and joys of community are felt within, each page turning with gossip, grief, hope, family, and love. I love how she gave an immense yet intimate voice to the sea. The years roll backwards and forwards in a wave, the glimpses into the past allowing understanding to grow. The fey dance on the edges, just a suggestion, but one that stayed with me and allowed goosebumps entry to my arms. I felt, I really really felt the sorrow and the aching of emotions, and know that this is a novel that will remain in my thoughts, so as well as a Liz Pick of the Month, this also joins our LoveReading Star Books. Poignant and bewitching, The Fisherman’s Gift weaves the most evocative and emotional story. Highly recommended.
The sea stole him from her. Could it bring him back?
Winter, 1900. A little boy washes up on the beach of a small fishing village in Scotland, barely alive. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy's son, lost to the sea many years before.
When the village is snowed in, Dorothy agrees to look after the child until he can be returned home. But, as the past rises to meet the present, long-buried secrets in this tight-knit community start to come to light. And Dorothy finds herself thrown together again with the reclusive fisherman Joseph, after years of keeping their distance.
Bursting with tension and tenderness, this is an exquisite love story that delves into the precious moments that can lie behind village gossip.
'A beautiful story of grief, hope and love; of dark snowy nights, the mysteries of the sea and, above all, redemption' Lucy Diamond, Sunday Times bestselling author of Something to Tell You
'Spectacular... a gift to readers everywhere...a treasure' Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
'Rich in atmosphere and brimming with mystery… a poignant, spellbinding tale of loss and resilience.' Christina Baker Kline, New York Times No. 1 bestselling author
'Stunning… Gorgeously multi-layered… evocative and heartbreaking, weaving melodic prose with a compelling story... I loved every word.' Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel
Author
About Julia Kelly
Julia Kelly studied English, Sociology and Journalism in Dublin, and escaped to London for the mad, bad years of life. She now lives in Bray, County Wicklow. This is her first novel.
