The Selkie's Daughter

by Linda Crotta Brennan

Overview

A cozy, richly imagined fantasy where a young selkie girl must save her family from a vengeful king.

Brigit knows all the old fisherman songs and legends by heart: sea goddess, warriors, and people who are not quite human. But Brigit also knows the truth. It’s evident in the webbing between her fingers–webbing that must be cut. She’s the daughter of a selkie. A truth she must keep secret from everyone.

But there is another secret growing in the village. A terrible one that will invite the wrath of the Great Selkie, bringing storm, sickness, and death. To protect those she loves, Brigit must find a way to Sule Skerrie, the land of selkies, to confront the Great Selkie and bring the truth—all of it—into the light.

Like sitting by a warm fireplace, The Selkie’s Daughter is an imaginative fantasy, steeped in Celtic mythology and set in Nova Scotia. Debut Linda Crotta Brennan has crafted a magical portrait of a brave girl coming into her own. Perfect for fans of mermaids and Studio Ghibli-esque stories.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823457670
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	01/02/2024
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	482,731
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Linda Crotta Brennan is the author of many picture books, including When Rivers Burned, named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the CBC and NCSS and an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the NSTA and CBC. She holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked as an instructor for the Institute of Children's Literature. Linda is an active member of SCBWI. The Selkie’s Daughter is her debut novel. She lives in New England.

Editorial Reviews

10/16/2023

In this multilayered middle grade debut, Brennan (the Fact Files series) evocatively establishes the hardships of a tween living as an incognito selkie in the sea-blasted chill of Nova Scotia. Though Brigit Finn habitually cuts back the webbing between her fingers to facilitate her masquerade as human, she and her mother—who are shape-shifting magical seals from nearby Sule Skerrie—are still the topic of persistent gossip throughout her financially struggling rural fishing village. Brigit endures persistent bullying from classmates, but with the support of her family, which also includes her Scots-descended father and precocious five-year-old brother, she forms buoying friendships with her cousin and a newcomer, the Manitoban nephew of the local priest. When the village’s fortunes shift for the worse, the fishermen—blaming selkies—target Brigit and her family, who are already suffering their own profound tragedies: someone has been killing young seals, angering the king of the selkies. At times shockingly dark and unflinching in its portrayal of the harsh realities Brigit and her family face, this fresh and evocative tale, rendered in Brigit’s clear voice, is propelled by a resilient protagonist toward a satisfyingly complex resolution. The human cast is white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Karyn Fischer, BookStop Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "Expertly told in ­poetic fashion, this book will hook its readers from sentence one. Highly recommended for all who love fantasy, tragedy, history, and folklore."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"For those who enjoy emotionally driven history with a dash of magic . . . The Selkie's Daughter will be worth the read."—Shelf Awareness

"A story rich in Celtic lore."—Foreword Reviews

"A well-paced first-person narrative inspired by elements of Celtic folklore."—Booklist

"This fresh and evocative tale, rendered in Brigit’s clear voice, is propelled by a resilient protagonist toward a satisfyingly complex resolution."—Publishers Weekly

"Readers just ready to dip their toes into selkie lore and Celtic legends à la Jane Yolen will find an easy introduction here."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"The tale’s strength lies in its writing: well-drawn characters, a strong sense of place, vivid images of the natural world, and evocative fantastical elements. . . . An immersive reading experience threaded through with Celtic lore." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2023

Gr 4–8—Brigit knows that in order to fit in, she must remove the webbing of skin that is growing between her fingers. Although painful, cousin Alys has always helped with this process. Kids at school aren't very accepting of her, given that she's half human, half seal. Being the daughter of a Selkie (seal woman), Brigit lives near Nova Scotia with her parents and little brother Willie. Thankfully, she develops some close friendships that end up being essential when she finds herself alone; her father has disappeared while fishing, and her mother has returned to the sea to find him. A large golden seal holds the key to the village's survival, as he is preventing the fish from being caught and even causing some of the storms that wreak havoc on the villagers and their way of life. The story is written in first person; Brigit and the other characters read as white. Have a tissue box nearby as heartbreak is in sure supply. The struggle between good and evil become blurred as readers are led to consider both sides, both of value. Topics presented include seal pup clubbing, diphtheria, bullying, food insecurities, storm destruction, and the cliques that come with small-town living. VERDICT Expertly told in poetic fashion, this book will hook its readers from sentence one. Highly recommended for all who love fantasy, tragedy, history, and folklore.—Tracy Cronce

School Library Journal

2023-10-07
A girl comes of age and reconciles with her selkie blood in Brennan’s debut novel.

Brigit lives with a secret: Webbing grows between her fingers, and no matter how often her cousin Alys cuts it away, it grows back. Her village on the coast of Nova Scotia may be under a selkie “bane” that’s affecting everyone’s catch—possibly as retribution for the killing of baby seals. Rumors also swirl about the origins of her mother, who, as Brigit says, “has no ties on land.” Brigit befriends new arrival Peter, an orphan who hails “from away”—in this case, Manitoba, where his family were homesteaders. Peter, who’s arrived with new priest Father Angus, his uncle, learns about Brigit’s life and community, revealing details about them to readers at the same time. This historical fantasy is loosely inspired by the Celtic legends Brigit adores, including the love story of Oisín (son of the warrior Finn MacCool) and Neve (daughter of the sea god). Brigit narrates events in the first person as her sense of self-identity develops through family tragedy, community hardship, and her increasing awareness of her heritage. Everything culminates in Brigit’s dramatic quest to get the Great Selkie to lift the bane. The tale’s strength lies in its writing: well-drawn characters, a strong sense of place, vivid images of the natural world, and evocative fantastical elements. All characters are cued white.

An immersive reading experience threaded through with Celtic lore. (Fantasy. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews