The Sea Shell Girl

by Linda Finlay

The dramatic new saga from the author of The Royal Lacemaker, The Girl with the Red Ribbon and Family for Christmas

Seventeen-year-old Merryn Dyer has been helping her mother to knit fisherman's jumpers in a small Cornish village since she was a young girl. Growing up without a father, Merryn is used to barely scraping a living and her mother has always instilled pride and honesty in her. But she dreams of one day having more in life.

So when she gets the chance at a job in a nearby city she jumps at the chance, despite her mother's reservations. However, once out of her village she begins to uncover long-buried secrets about her past that threaten to unravel everything that she thought she knew.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2016

About the author

As an Image Consultant, Linda has always had an avid interest in people. Helping them to regain their confidence after they've undergone life changing surgery is one of the most satisfying areas of her work.

Linda has always loved writing stories and won a competition run by the local paper when she was 11.

She has since been published in magazines and annuals. Moving to the spectacular Devon coast and learning about its local history inspired her to write her first novel The Royal Lacemaker. Under the patient guidance of a local teacher, she learned to make lace and is very proud of the 'spider' she produced.

She loves beach-combing, finding it the perfect excuse to indulge in a spot of people watching.

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mum actually bought this book but hasn't found the time to read it yet, so I got in first. :) I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to find out more about what things were like in the past, and I felt for Merry wanting more out of life than her fishing village. I felt something for all of the characters, whether I loved or despised them. It's a read that will play with your emotions but I was smiling by the end of it. Hopefully, I will get the chance to read more by Linda Finlay in the future.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a big fan of this book. It took me what felt like longer than usual to read and I found myself feeling I had to read it rather than wanting to. I thought the story dragged out and some of the humour was bordering on cringey. At the start of the book I was interested, Merry was inspiring wanting more from her little village but the story did not go where I thought it would. It seemed the book could have been shortened to a short story and all the key points would have been covered. I really wanted to like this book but this time it just didn't work for me.

[Christine Galletly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a refreshing read set in times gone by. There were good main characters with a well written story and excellent attention to detail. A nice enjoyable read.

[poppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always enjoy Linda Finlay books and this was no exception. A little bit of everything, making it an enjoyable read.

[Sarah Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy for a fair and unbiased review.

Merryn Dyer lives in a little fishing village in Cornwall, she lives with her mother and grandmother Grozen, to get by and pay for food and rent, they knit men's fisherman jumpers and clean the pilchards when they come in. But life is hard and not easy to survive, Merryn has always dreamed of travelling, she doesn't the village to be he whole life.

So when the buyer for the jumpers starts to alter the prices that they knit and they realise they wouldn't be able to afford there little cottage Merry goes to Plymouth to seek out another buyer who is known for being far to his prices as long as the work is good.

Merry loves the look of Plymouth and realises this is what she wants, so when she is offered a job as a trainee sales assistant in a women clothing department store she jumps at the chance, so this is Merry and families story.

This is a beautifully written book which I didn't want to put down, with romance, historical fiction this is a lovely family saga book.

[Sue Kitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to folloThe Sea Shell Girl was far from the usual thriller/psycho/crime books that I tend to prefer but it has rekindled my love for this genre of books.
A stunning story of love, hope, ambition, secrets and family. An insight into just how hard it was to survive for some in those times.
Seventeen-year-old Merryn Dyer has been helping her mother to knit fisherman's jumpers in a small Cornish village since she was a young girl but her dream is to see more of the world than just the tiny fishing village she has grown up in. When an opportunity arises to work in the nearby city, she jumps at the chance.
A lovely and beautifully written story of romance and survival and I can highly recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph
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[Petermcgehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts well: Merry is 17 and lives with her grandmother and mothr in an impoverished Cornish fishing village struggling to stave off starvation and the attentions of Nicco whose father owns the Pilchard packaging business on which the women of the village of Porthsallos depend for their livlihood along with selling the knitted dresses they make working all the hourd God gives.
She ends up in a Clothing store in Portsmouth where she meets the love of her life while can't take a hint Nicco continues his campaign to make her his wife.

Good read? Yes it was, a trifle far fetched making the pieces fit but otherwise Merry is a virtuos young lady and it is easy to follow her adventures.

[Susan Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good family saga, set around the beginning of the 1900's. Merryn comes from a family who live in a Cornish seaside village. The men fish and the women knit fisherman's jumpers. At seventeen, Merryn wants more to her life than to get married and have children. She ventures to the nearest town and gets work as a shop assistant. Eventually a family secret is revealed to Merryn, which shatters her world and means she has to return home. Will she have to give up her new found love as well?

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have about six of this authors books on my pile and this was my first. It was a really lovely tale. The only irritations were dialect, gimlet stare, tussie mussie, and the repetive blimey o rimey sayings. However the story moved well and ended with lots of emotions and proved very thought provoking.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Read this book in just a day because once I picked it up I couldn't put it down again. The main character, Merry, is brilliantly written and you can easily imagine yourself in her place. Can't wait to read some more books by this author.

[c m bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

As always I have enjoyed the sea shell girl and I am just hoping and waiting for a follow on book. We all need to check to see I f Merry is still a Mbeki V

[C A Gentle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although a bit of slow start. Once I got into it I really found myself wanting to read on. I liked the descriptions of life in a Cornish fishing village and the differences in a big town. Very interesting to read about department stores in the 1800s and how life was.

[natalie bowes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story, great characters and enjoyed it start to finish

[neil williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual author

But this book kept me enthralled from the first page. Look forward to reading another of Linda finlays books ❤️

[Lindsey Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read book, perfect for sunday afternoon. 😊

[Lin SINGH-BARRINGTON · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Up to pg.250): a charming read for those who love the sea and who need to relax between revising for exams!