Donald is a young fisherman, eking out a lonely living on the west coast of Scotland. One night he witnesses something miraculous, and makes a terrible mistake. His action changes lives-not only his own, but those of his family and the entire tightly knit community in which they live. Can he ever atone for the wrong he has done, and can love grow when its foundation is violence? Based on the legend of the selkies-seals who can transform into people-evokes the harsh beauty of the landscape, the resilience of its people, both human and animal, and the triumph of hope over fear and prejudice. With exquisite grace, Su Bristow transports us to a different world, subtly and beautifully exploring what it means to be an outsider, and our innate capacity for forgiveness and acceptance. Rich with myth and magic, Sealskin is, nonetheless, a very human story, as relevant to our world as to the timeless place in which it is set.
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['You can't trust moonlight']***
(Orenda Books, 15 December 2016, 276 pages, ebook, #popsugarreadingchallenge 2019, a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I knew I was going to love this book after I'd read the first few paragraphs. I'm pleased to say I was right on the money. I've read a few books and stories about selkies and tend to really love them. Bristow does a brilliant job of bringing the legend to life here. The fact it's set in Scotland, my country is an added bonus. I get way too excited when a book I love is set in Scotland. I really didn't like Donald at the start of the book. His actions verge on criminal and his selfish behaviour traps a selkie on land and changes more than one life for the worse. However, I really start to warm towards him by the end of the novel and completely change my mind about him. This is a beautiful but incredibly sad book.
