The year is 1973. The Republic of Ireland is admitted into the European Economic Community and on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the Watergate Scandal breaks. But in a small coastal town in Donegal, a baby boy is found abandoned on the beach. Fisherman Ambrose and his wife Christine, who forge a proud but precarious living from the sea, take the baby in, give him the name Brendan, and raise him alongside their older son Declan. Spanning two decades, this novel is not only about an ordinary family that opens itself to the extraordinary arrival of a child, but also about an ordinary community proud of its traditional heritage that gradually embraces an accelerated pace of life that includes international trade and communication with regions beyond the next fishery port. With the increasingly rapid turnover of information, might the mystery of Brendan’s early life finally be solved? And how will Declan, so often at conflict with his younger brother during their childhoods, react?
This is an extraordinary literary debut about an Irish region and time period that have not been depicted much in contemporary fiction – hopefully this beautiful, enigmatic and sensitive novel will change the status quo! My thanks go to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this honest and unbiased book review.

I enjoyed this gentle narration of the extremely tough life in a commercial fishing town in Donegal and the ripples caused by one significant event in the town's past. The narrative explores relationships within the community and its families- and it can be observed how these have rhythms as up and down as the sea that is central to the story. The characters, particularly the central Bonnar family, are wonderfully drawn and pull you deep into their concerns.

I will happily recommend this to readers. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC -views are my own

This is a beautifully written, gently told and emotive story that will stay with me for some time. It covers two decades starting in 1973 and is set in a small fishing community in Donegal on Irelands West coast.

The story starts with a baby being found in a barrel on Donegal Bay and everyone agrees that he is a gift from the sea. They name the baby Brendan and Ambrose Bonnar, a fisherman, takes him into his family -very much to the dislike of his birth son Declan who emotionally struggles and fights against this new addition to his hitherto happy family. Brendan’s arrival changes the family dynamics but also effects the people in the village generally.

The impact the arrival of the baby has on Ambrose’s family and on the fishing community as a whole is observed from a very unusual narrative position. It is a communal voice, a we-narrator representing the people in the village – people with a great sense of place and deeply rooted in their traditions.

Whilst the book delves deeply into the intricacies of the life of the Bonnar family, it has a particular focus on its male members. It is one of those rare books that explores how male protagonists deal with their feelings and expression of emotions, which are often raw and remain hidden behind their actions. It is done subtly with great empathy. For that I liked it a lot.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Picador for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written tale of a baby is found who is found by the sea in Donegal, and is taken in by a young fisherman and his wife. They adopt him and name him Brendon, bringing him up alongside their other son Declan. We follow their lives in this small fishing village

This is the story of a baby found abandoned on an Irish beech he is taken in by members of the community initially on rotation when they realise this isn’t really a practical way to bring up a child one family steps forward and we learn about the child’s upbringing throughout the novel


The story starts off really fast paced and amusing and kept my attention throughout I read it in one sitting
I love the collective we that is used quite often to mean members of the community it is unusual to read novels written as the collective we but I really loved it
I’m found that I was highlighting multiple sentences as they’re so perfectly written and amusing.
There is a whole cost of eccentric characters who are described perfectly their real pre-dimensional people if we don’t feel we know them already we do by the end of the novel
There Is an intense Irishness about the story which brings to mind some of the novels of John Boyne
I would strongly recommend this novel for anyone who loves a great relationship based literary novel written with wit intelligence and love for Community and family
I read early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for a review. The book is published in the UK in February 2025. Pan McMillan-Picadore.
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads and my book review bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.

Thank you for my advance review copy of this book. Really enjoyed reading about the dynamics of the fishing village, fishing life and the rivalry between the foundling and the child of the couple who took him in.

I was drawn into this book and loved the first part. But I found it lost its way and I began to lose interest. It's a shame that the town itself and its people didn't quite come through, otherwise it would have made a much better book. Nice writing though.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I found it to be an unusual storyline. However I enjoyed reading it, particularly the descriptions of the Irish countryside and the people. Brendon was adopted by Ambrose and Christine as a baby with an unknown background. His arrival changed the dynamics of both the family and the community. The local community were mostly fishermen who were affected by the the joining of the EU. This impacted the way of life for the community and changed the family again.
I can recommend this book to those who like to read something different with a moving storyline and how small rural communities are affected by the decisions made by those some distance away.

Narrated by the people of Dongeal this story explores the lives of the fishing community. The story mostly revolves around Ambrose and his family. Their lives are changed forever when a barrel washes up with a baby inside which Ambrose decides to raise as their own

The writing had an almost lyrical side to it which I enjoyed. With a gentle feel the narration was funny at times with a straight to the point way of looking at life which worked really well.

Honestly just a really good read that portrays a good sense of the characters within.

Seafaring family saga and mystery

A boy found in a plastic half-barrel floating on the sea off the west coast of Ireland is adopted by Ambrose, a local trawlerman. Who is this boy? Where did he come from? And how will his life develop in the village, particularly in the relationship with the son of Ambrose?

The author deftly paints portraits of the home life of the family, the relationships between Ambrose's wife and her sister and the impact of having to take care of aging relatives. The language and speech is touched with the dark humour and phrases of the region. However, the narration in the third-person from the point of view of the collective voice of the unnamed people of "our village" causes some fourth-wall jarring moments when the narrative covers thoughts or actions of the characters that could not have been known by the villagers.

The action covers almost a generation of life, sometimes in minute detail of specific events which are followed by gaps of several years when more could have been explored or explained. Trawler fishing and its processes and dangers are brought out dramatically in several chapters, for which the author acknowledges the input of the fishing industry. The fishing boats themselves almost become alive and active characters in the story. Overall, an easy. eventful and satisfying read.

A story set in a tight knit fishing town, cleverly narrated by the village.

A real time stopping book, I found myself immersed in it. The trials and tribulations of the family as they take in foundling Brendan as he and his brother grow up in 1970s Ireland.

A great book. Highly recommended. Thanks you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC to review.

I thought I would love this book ar the beginning, a story of 2 brothers, one biological and one adopted, however I found it dragged along, I skipped pages and pages to get to the end which in my opinion was an anticlimax. I respect the fact it was well written and very descriptive, I could easily picture the people, places, and environment.

The Boy from the Sea, Picador's lead fiction title for 2025, is an enchanting tale set in Donegal that gets under your skin in the best possible way. Full of gentle wit and wisdom, and using the narrative "we" voice of the fishing community it's set in, it brings the village and its inhabitants, as well as the mighty Atlantic Ocean to life.

Opening in 1973 and unfolding over two decades, it tells the story of a boy who is washed up in a fishing barrel on the beach. Named Brendan, he is adopted by fisherman Ambrose Bonnar, himself an outsider in the town, and his wife Christine. Brendan is an endless source of fascination for the town, much to the disgust of his older brother Declan, who sees Brendan as an interloper.

I loved that the book did not lean into old Catholic Ireland. Refreshingly, the sea was the real god of the town ("Our town's dominant religion required us to believe in miracles, but we didn't") with its community being a pragmatic, if occasionally superstitious, people.

I loved the relationship between Christine and her sister Phyllis, and the complexities and loneliness of caring for an elderly parent, as well as the insights into the tough lives of fisherman at sea as they navigated the challenges of EU fishing quotas and rapidly advancing modernity in shipping, with one foot in the past and one in the future.

Every time I picked up The Boy from the Sea it felt like I was stepping off life's treadmill and immersing myself in another world. If you enjoyed The Coast Road, Trespasses or The Colony, this is one to look out for. 5/5 stars

*Many thanks to Picador for the advance proof copy. The Boy from the Sea will be published in February 2025. One to bookmark!

In 1973, an extraordinary event unfolded in a Donegal coastal fishing town. A baby boy was found abandoned on the beach. The sight of the abandoned infant draws a crowd of townspeople, each captivated by the mystery surrounding the child.

Among them is Ambrose Bonnar, a robust fisherman known not only for his impressive stature but also for his generous spirit. Ambrose steps forward, instinctively offering to welcome the child into his family, including his beloved son, Declan, his devoted wife, Christine, and just up the lane, Christine’s sister, Phyllis, and their ageing father.

As the years pass, this child, now named Brendan, grows into a young man whose peculiar charm and charisma profoundly impact the community.

The Boy from the Sea intricately weaves together the stories of this family and their village, revealing how deeply interconnected their fates are.

The narrative spans two decades, chronicling the family’s fortunes that rise and fall in tandem with the townspeople’s collective experiences. Their much-cherished small-town life is threatened by the relentless tide of a global economy and the modernisation of commercial fishing, which disrupts their time-honoured way of life.

Although raised as brothers, Brendan and Declan could not be more different and often find themselves in conflict.

As themes of sibling rivalry and familial loyalty unfold, Ambrose is torn between his deep concern for his family’s future and the demands of his gruelling profession on the sea. Each day, he faces the harsh realities of his livelihood, often leaving him little time to nurture his children’s bonds.

As the world outside their small community continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the age-old mystery of Brendan’s origins looms more significantly than ever.

The Boy from the Sea is a remarkable debut novel showcasing the talents of a fresh voice in Irish literature. It is a gentle, steady read that captures the essence of small-town dynamics with an authentic perspective, intertwining humour and deep emotion in an atmospheric, multilayered story that resonates long after the last page is turned. 4.5⭐

Many thanks to the publisher for kindly providing me with an advance copy both via NetGalley and in print. As always, this is an honest review.

When a baby is found by the sea in Donegal, on the north west coast of Ireland, the child is taken in by a young fisherman and his wife. They adopt the boy, call him Brendan and bring him up alongside their small son, Declan. The story follows Brendan and Declan's stories and that of their parents, set against the brooding backdrop of a landscape almost cut off from the rest of the world. As the children grow up, what emerges is one of those quiet and satisfying tales of family life - with joy and heartbreak, conflicts and misunderstandings - told from the various viewpoints of the characters through an eavesdropping voice of a villager acting as a narrator.
An astonishing debut, haunting and gentle, with well-drawn characters and atmosphere to make the reader feel part of the community in which Brenda and Declan are growing up,
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an advance reader copy of this novel.

What happens when an ordinary town encounters an extraordinary event? A baby is found in a barrel, abandoned on the beach of an Irish town. There is much excitement in town about this discovery and varied opinions are exchanged from mystical to some calling it a sign from the sea. The baby captivates the town, but like most extraordinary things the novelty wears off after a while. He eventually is adopted by a fisherman named Ambrose Bonnar and the rest of the story follows the life of Ambrose and his family and how this decision impacts them and those around them for years after.
This is a captivating, layered and atmospheric read that captures life in a fishing town beautifully, and I think it will garner a lot of attention next year. Thanks to Netgalley and Picador books for an advance copy, I loved it!

Slow paced but thought provoking novel set in a small Irish fishing community. I enjoyed reading this book and felt it captured the intensity, claustrophobia and isolation of a small village where everyone knows everyone. Highly recommended.

An absolute delight of a book. The primary characters are witty and charming, and the local community are funny and spot on. The writing is superb, the plot was completely captivating, and each character's depth and connections were expertly portrayed. This book will stay with me for a long time.

Beautifully descriptive tale of growing up in a fishing community in Ireland. An amazing thing happens to the small town when a baby is found seemingly washed up on the beach. Ambrose seems to instantly fall for the tiny boy and persuades his wife Christine that the should look after him as a brother to their own young boy. It’s gently written which conceals real hardship and pain and jealousy.

Having heard so many positive reviews about this book on Twitter I decided to ditch my current Read and Dive Straits into the boy from the sea.
I was not disappointed in the story of Ambrose, Christine, Declan and The Boy from the Sea - now more commonly known as Brendan.
When he is discovered, the town folk take it in turns to foster him for a night or two until Ambrose steps in, whereafter Brendan lived with the Bonnar family permanently.
Family dynamics, town chat and interest, and a deep insight into the fishing community of Donegal are all at play in this wonderful book.

I really enjoyed this story and it gives a great insight into Irish community life, the highs and lows of daily life, family difficulties and joys.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.