Sealskin by Su Bristow
I write about Merpeople, so I enjoy finding books that take place near the sea. Of these, my favorites are those so well-written, I can feel the chill of the sea air and smell the salt in each breath. I can only hope to one day be able to describe things in such a way.
Sealskin by Su Bristow is not a tale of merpeople, but selkies. Though they are different creatures, they share a certain wildness. I suppose that all sea creatures possess the inability to conform to human standards, and that’s what makes them unique.
Sealskin follows the story of Donald, a young fisherman who struggles to fit in and pick a place in the world. With few friends to speak of, he lives with his mother and generally avoids the other lads in the fishing town. He is so misguided that he makes a mistake which will bring him joy as well as sorrow.
At the start of the book, Donald is not a wonderful person. It’s clear from the first chapters (which hooked me) that he hasn’t learned to control his impulses or think before he acts. While none of it justifies what he did, the beauty of this book was seeing Donald’s growth as he comes to see his mistakes and take on the world as a man.
The selkie in this novel, Mairi, will make a deep impact in his life. I fear that I cannot say much more without spoiling it; you’ll have to read the book. It is a story of regret, love-that-might-not-have-been, broken dreams and loss.
Creatures of the sea cannot be contained against their will, and I think the point of this story is that, if given the choice, they will always return to their home in the water.
It is a new favorite book of mine; I highly recommend it!
