The Fisherman's Gift

Written by Julia R Kelly

Narrated by Bobby Rainsbury

The Light Between Oceans meets The Snow Child in this novel set in a Scottish village in the weeks after a young boy mysteriously washes up on shore, causing the buried secrets of the insular community to come to light and rekindling an old love story.

“Breathtaking. An exquisitely written, pitch-perfect look at love and shame, what is lost and what is found.” —Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle and Hang the Moon

It’s 1900 and Skerry, a small Scottish fishing village, is destined for an unyielding winter. During a storm, a young boy washes up on the shore. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy’s son, lost to the sea at the same age many years before, his body never found.

The village is soon snowed in, and Dorothy agrees to look after the child until they can uncover the mystery of his origins. But over time, the lines between reality and desperate hope start to blur as the boy reminds Dorothy more and more of her own lost child.

The boy’s arrival also finally forces Dorothy to face the truth about her brief but passionate love affair with Joseph, the fisherman who found the boy on the shore and who has been the subject of whispers connecting him to the drowning of Dorothy’s son years earlier.

As the past rises to meet the present, long-buried secrets are unearthed within this tight-knit community, and the child’s arrival becomes a catalyst for something far greater than any of them could imagine.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Mar 18, 2025
• ISBN: 9781668114957

Julia R Kelly

Julia Kelly has been longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize, the Exeter Novel Prize, PenguinWriteNow, and the Bath Novel Award. In 2021 she won the Blue Pencil First Novel Award. Having grown up in a house without television, Julia read anything she could lay her hands on, and as an English teacher, she has tried to pass on her love of stories to the next generation of readers and writers. Since being confined to a wheelchair, Julia has learned to appreciate even more fully the journeys the written word can take us on. She lives in Herefordshire with her partner and between them, they have raised five wonderful children. The Fisherman’s Gift is her debut novel.

Reviews for The Fisherman's Gift

[Andrew Price · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The reader and her accent were perfect for this setting and beautiful to listen to! The story got a bit jumbled amongst the many characters and the two timelines, but headings of Now and Then were helpful in starting each chapter. This well written story kept my interest throughout. The ending was satisfying and brought together all the threads like an intricate tapestry. The author did a fantastic job weaving an exquisitely told story. I hope there is a sequel? The intriguing main characters are all set up for another book, please!

[Joseph Bair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully written journey through love and loss, where grief transforms transforms into growth and transformation…

[Mary Meyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book kept my interest, but I had to frequently rewind to understand the then from now. Many times I would miss or not understand what was being said. Perhaps it was the accent of the reader.

[Joyce Harout · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The story is all over the place. I couldn't keep up. Also the narrator is not very good. I couldn't go on.

[Lindsay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Deeply sad and heartbreaking, but so incredibly beautiful. LOVE. Plus the narrator was impeccable ?

[Nora Tribble · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dorothy’s story of coming to terms with the loss of her little boy Moses in a small village is a painful story with a heartwarming end.

[jas4shops · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction, really interesting. The pace felt a little off at parts but overall I enjoyed this one a lot.

[Camille Walker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a good, GOOD book! It was captivating from the first page and was very heart wrenching, but worth the listen! I loved it, despite having to hold back to tears - narration was excellent and the story was definitely 5+ stars!!!

[Marylee Chromiak · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Such a Woke book. Stopped after 2 chapters. Dripping political correctness.