I love these historical stories of small communities, and how you have to poke beneath the surface to winkle out all the secrets. This was a fascinating look at maternal love, forbidden love and gossipy women. I really enjoyed it. A boy washes up in a small town, and is cared for by the sad schoolmistress whose husband has left her. An outsider, we just know there’s more to her background and circumstances and so while we find out more about the boy, we find more of her too.

This is a beautiful but at times heartbreaking story that touches on loss & and grief, and it had me feeling all the emotions while reading this.

Set in the 1900s in a small scottish coastal town. A young boy is found washed up on the shore alive. The village is cut off from the rest of the town due to a bad snow storm, so the boy is placed with a woman called Dorothy. She agrees to care for him until the roads are clear, and they can get in touch with authorities to hopefully find out where this child has come from. Dorothy has her own past traumas that she's never really come to terms with or addressed, and having the boy could help her overcome those past traumas or push her further into grief. What follows is a beautiful but heartbreaking look at what the loss of a child can do and how grief can take over.

There are multiple povs, which I really enjoyed as it is a very character driven story. We got to know a lot of the characters in the town on a more personal level. There were times I was beyond frustrated with all the miscommunications and times I wanted to cry and scream at the tragedy of it all but ultimately it was a beautiful story full of hope that will stay with me for a while.

Worth more than 5 stars

Thank you, Random House and NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC of Julia Kelly’s, The Fisherman’s Gift.

1900, a Scottish fishing village. Mysticism, love shared and rejected, and the reality of 20th century Scotland. Gorgeous worldbuilding – you’ll hear, see and smell the sea, the rocks, the village, the villagers, Copse Cross Street, Dorothy’s cottage, the manse, Mrs. Brown’s grocers. Moving, and quietly emotional. Stitch by stitch unravelling secrets.
Beautifully crafted, this is a novel that grips you, holds you, long after reading the last paragraph.

Julia Kelly’s debut novel is on my pre-order list; I want a hardcopy to read and reread.
Five stars (because six stars isn’t an option on this site).

Thank you to Harvill Secker and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although this book is imbued with sadness and grief I did really ‘enjoy’ it. It is written from the differing perspectives of mother, father, lover and village people, contrasting the deep reactions to death of a loved one. It is written with great poignancy and insight into grief, mental illness, unrequited love and life plodding on despite these. It is a slow read, it has to be I think, given the storyline, with beautiful descriptions of the land and seascape. I recommend this novel with a caveat of some trigger warnings for those close to a grief experience

This debut novel by Julia Kelly really packs a punch. The beginning reminded me of Diane Setterfield’s “Once Upon A River” (which I loved!), but this is a different take about losing a child.
Set in a isolated Scottish fishing village during the winter of 1900, this is the story of schoolteacher Dorothy whose six-year-old son Moses disappeared 15 years earlier, presumed drowned in the sea.
When a small boy is washed up on the beach, Dorothy sees a haunting similarity to her son and the past rises up and threatens to swallow Dorothy whole - past relationships, village animosity, grief and all.
The depiction of the dark, snowed-in claustrophic hamlet and the overwhelming power of the sea is masterfully achieved.
And after all of Dorothy’s struggles, this is a story about hope, love and, ultimately, resilience and redemption.

I loved this book. It wasn't my usual genre but the premise drew me in. It had me second guessing who the child could be and I found myself really wanting the child to be Dorothy's lost son.

The usage of the word root had me laughing so much I cried. I know it was a serious scene but I couldn't picture anything else but William holding a tree root, or a vegetable root.

I rooted for Dorothy and Joseph and wanted to smack their heads together and make them listen to each other. They showed each other how they felt in every way but words and it infuriated me how Dorothy wouldn't just ask Joseph if the rumours held any truth to them. The ending filled me with some hope though. A lovely read with a tragic conclusion.

A heart-wrenching tale of love, loss, and longing. Julia has written a captivating and atmospheric novel centred on a small Scottish fishing community and the lives of it's inhabitants. I was engrossed in the lives of the main characters from start to finish, feeling so many emotions as the story unfolded. Beautifully written and well paced, I enjoyed this book immensely.

Brilliant read.

Nostalgic, village life. A shocking event brought back to life by a current find.

You will love (and loathe) the characters in this book. A fabulous love story. Some heart breaking and heart warming moments.

If you love our coastal villages this is a book for you.

The final paragraph of this book is one of my all time favourites.

This is a gentle story of lost opportunities and glimmers of hope. The intricacies of village life and its characters are beautifully portrayed and landscape is very atmospheric. A heart wrenching story that nearly had me in tears.

The Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.

Julia Kelly’s debut novel, The Fisherman’s Gift deals with the loss of a young woman’s son by drowning as a child. At the heart of this novel are themes of loss, grief and heartbreak for Dorothy. However, I see Dorothy as all that but she is traumatized by what has happened to her son. I was so impressed by how the author used one stanza of Yeats’ poem, The Stolen Child to capture Dorothy’s tragic young life.

The Fisherman’s Gift is beautifully written giving the reader a glimpse of Scottish village life in 1900 for a few couples.

Highly recommended.

A slow burner, this is an emotional story, full of missed chances, grief and the intensity of living in a small, remote village where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Or thinks they do, often making gossip more interesting by not always including the truth. The village and the seasons are really brought to life, adding to the atmosphere of this tale that has an almost fairytale quality at times, with stories handed done through the generations. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book

4.5⭐️ this book gave me all the feels! It’s a simple story but one that touches your heart. It has relationships and and grief and you feel the emotions in there. A brilliant writer with a captivating story!

Thank you for this ARC. This is my honest review.

What I loved about it: this was a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The writing is effortless, and I found myself getting lost in the intricate relationships between the characters, especially between Dorothy and the women of Skerry: I found the change in POV between the characters really helped with this. While this is a story based on loss, grief and the devastating impact of secrets and lies, it leaves you with some feelings of hope, and the power of redemption. The fact that I finished this in a day is the highest praise I can give: I expect I'll be haunted by this book for a few days.

What I didn't love: some very minor things, really. I had expected more of the "uncanny" in the story, based on the synopsis, but this didn't fully materialise. This wasn't an issue for me, as I enjoyed the book regardless, but this might be a disappointment to this expecting more of of the fey/otherworld in the story. I also wonder if more of a triggering warning is needed for child death/miscarriage/infertility, as the story touches on more than just Dorothy's loss, but also that of the women around her. While these topics were covered we expert sensitivity and honesty, I think a warning at the start may be appreciated by some readers.

Beautifully written. Loved the complicated character of Dorothy. The dual time line worked really well in building to the ending and creating a dynamic pace in what is an isolated Scottish fishing village.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Set against the stark and unforgiving backdrop of a small Scottish fishing village in 1900, The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia Kelly is a poignant and atmospheric tale of love, loss, and long-buried secrets. Skerry is a place where life is harsh, and its tightly-knit community is held together by shared struggles and whispered rumours. This vivid depiction of a bygone era provides the perfect setting for a story that unravels the delicate threads of human connection and grief.

The narrative centres on Dorothy, a reserved and private schoolteacher who has relocated to Skerry to teach the village children. Her seemingly cold demeanour sets her apart from the villagers, but her complex character unfolds as her past comes to light. Years earlier, Dorothy lost her young son, Moses, to the sea—a tragedy that continues to haunt her. When a boy washes ashore during a fierce storm, his uncanny resemblance to Moses reignites Dorothy’s long-buried hope and grief.

Joseph, the fisherman who rescues the boy, shares a fraught history with Dorothy. Their passionate but brief love affair is steeped in scandal, not least because of Agnes, a determined rival who claims Joseph as her own. The boy’s arrival not only reopens old wounds but also forces Dorothy and Joseph to confront the truths they have long avoided.

Kelly masterfully captures the dynamics of a close-knit village, where secrets are hard to keep and gossip travels faster than the wind. The tension between Dorothy and Agnes, and the wider community’s suspicions about Joseph’s involvement in Moses’ death, add layers of intrigue and drama. As the mystery of the boy’s identity unfolds, the narrative beautifully explores themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the human capacity for hope in the face of despair.

The vivid descriptions of Skerry and its harsh winter landscape create an immersive atmosphere, drawing the reader into the isolation and resilience of the village. Dorothy’s emotional journey—from a grief-stricken mother to a woman ready to embrace her past and find peace—is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

The Fisherman’s Gift is a beautifully crafted story that weaves together mystery, romance, and the enduring bonds of community. With its richly drawn characters and evocative setting, this novel is a delight for readers who enjoy historical fiction steeped in emotion and intrigue. Highly recommended.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This is a story of loss and heartbreak, exacerbated by the in-fighting and petty jealousies of village life. Dorothy arrives in the village as an outsider and the natural suspicion of the locals, combined with her own sense of how she should behave, means she never quite makes the fresh start she is looking for. The possibility of it is always tantalisingly close and yet something always snatches it away at the last minute.


It would be easy to condemn Dorothy. Seen through the villagers' eyes, she is everything they believe her to be: prim, aloof, better than them. But as readers, we see what has formed her - the cold, manipulative mother - and how desperate she is to break free of her past.

The narrative flicks between 'then' and 'now', 'then' telling the story of Dorothy's life, her eventual marriage and the deep love she feels for her son, Moses. The 'now' begins with fisherman, Joseph, bringing a half-drowned boy into the community and tells of their endeavours to nurse him back to health and find where he has come from. But for Dorothy, it is not so simple. She is convinced the boy is Moses, the beloved son who drowned many years before.

Throughout the course of the narrative, secrets are revealed and one of the things I liked about this book is that there is no true villain. There are antagonists, yes, but by the end of the narrative, they have been so well-rounded as characters, that their motivations are utterly plausible and actually inspire sympathy rather than condemnation. Life was hard in 1900 and the book does not shy away from the reality of this.

Nevertheless, it is a beautiful story, gently and exquisitely told and the information we learn about the other residents of the town build a picture of a close-knit turn of the century village, where every person has their own story to tell and each has value and a place in the community.

1900 - Skerry, Scotland. A small boy who resembles the teachers long lost son washes up on shore. The teacher agrees to take care of him. That’s when the mystery begins. The community works together to figure it all out. I can’t tell more without this having a spoiler. Good book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7108180996

Oh gosh, this one is heartbreaking. I was in tears several times when reading it, so be warned. A very beautiful, sad book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

A lovely, poignant story delicately told about grief and longing, and personal redemption. The setting was evocative and the prose was lovely.

Set in 1900 in a remote Scottish village, this is the story of Dorothy who came to the village as a teacher some years previously after the death of her mother.. She and Robert, a fisherman, are attracted to one another but ultimately Dorothy marries William Gray, a rather quiet man who seemed to be under the thumb of his sister Jane and they have a son, Moses. After a shock discovery, William leaves the village to seek work some distance away and though he sends money to Dorothy she never sees him again. Then during a bad storm Moses leaves the house at night without his mother's knowledge and is drowned. Several years later during another storm Robert discovers a young boy in the water.. Dorothy is struck by the similarities between this child and her own son. It's decided that until the boy's parents can be found he will stay with Dorothy. As time passes with nobody coming forward for the child, Dorothy begins to think fate brought him to her and starts to believe that he could possibly live with her.
This is a beautifully written though very sad story. I really felt for Dorothy still mourning the loss of her son and thinking that maybe she had been given a second chance of happiness. The characters were all believable and showed the distrust and jealousies that sometimes occur in close knit communities.. I'll definitely be looking out for the author's next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading an advanced copy of this book.