Rae's Reviews > The Boatman's Wife

Having been born and brought up within a fishing community and, at one time, been a fisherman’s wife, I was immediately drawn to Noelle Harrison’s, The Boatman’s Wife. Set against the rugged backdrops of both western Ireland and Maine, this is a dual timeline story that follows the journeys of Niamh and Lily, both strong, determined, passionate women drawn together by secrets.

It’s not a spoiler to reveal that Lily’s husband, Connor is lost in a fishing tragedy (as it’s in the blurb) and some of my favourite passages from the novel were set on the ocean. Noelle makes it easy for the reader to imagine tangled wind-tossed hair and the gritty feel of salt on skin. I was wholly swept away by this tender novel about risk taking, loss, young love and, eventually, finding a way through the darkness.