The Fisherman's Gift

The sea tore them apart. Could it bring them back together? The unforgettable story of a tragic love affair, a lost boy and a tiny seafaring village finding new hope as its secrets come to light.

‘A beautifully written story of loss and love’ Florence Knapp

Dorothy first came to Skerry when she was a hopeful young teacher, but she has never felt at home. Misunderstandings with the other women in the village have left her isolated from their close-knit circle. And then there is Joseph, the soft-spoken fisherman who stirred up her heart all those years ago but does everything he can to avoid her now.

But when Joseph finds a little boy washed up on Skerry’s windswept beach, barely alive, his arrival unearths the villagers’ buried secrets. As the snow cuts Skerry off from the rest of the world, Dorothy agrees to look after the child – and finds herself thrown together again with Joseph, after years of keeping their distance…

READERS LOVE THE FISHERMAN’S GIFT:

‘Took my breath away’ *****
‘This book emotionally destroyed me in the best way… My heart aches for these characters’ *****
‘An absolute treasure. I loved it from start to finish’ *****
‘Haunting and evocative. The characters have stayed with me well beyond the pages.’ *****
‘A completely immersive, first-class story. Brilliantly observed, atmospheric and haunting all in one novel!’ *****’

Author Biography

Julia is a mother, writer and teacher. She has been longlisted for The Mslexia Novel Prize, The Exeter Novel Prize, Penguin WriteNow 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 from an early age and as an English teacher, has tried to pass on her love of stories to the next generation of readers and writers. Since becoming a wheelchair user, Julia appreciates even more the journeys the written word can take us on. She lives in Herefordshire with her partner and dog and between them, they have raised five wonderful children. THE FISHERMAN’S GIFT is her debut novel.