Sealskin

Donald fishes the rocky western shore of Scotland and lives a sparse, solitary life. One night he sees something almost impossible, and what he does in response sends shockwaves through his household and the close-knit village that surrounds it. Can someone who has done real harm ever make amends? Can affection take root in ground that was first broken by violence?

The novel draws on the old selkie legends, in which seals can shed their skins and walk as people. Its setting is a stark, beautiful coastline, and its characters, human and animal alike, are shaped by hardship and by a stubborn capacity to endure. The story pays close attention to the experience of being an outsider and to the difficult, necessary work of forgiving and accepting others.

Steeped in myth and enchantment, the book still reads first as a story about people. Set in a timeless place, its concerns about fear, prejudice and redemption feel just as pressing in the present day.