This book is honestly not the genre I normally read but the cover is so pretty. And of course I'm a sucker for a cute cover. And the book was really good. Like I said not my usual genre but I enjoyed this book a lot. I will happily suggest this book to others.

Folklore, mystery, love, queer characters. This is a fantastic reimagining of folktale of The Selkie Wife. What would we change about that classic story if we could? Rose Sutherland has given us the update that we knew we needed in her debut novel. We follow the story of Jean, a midwife in early 1800’s Nova Scotia as she forms a bond with her mysterious neighbor’s wife. Jean discovers Muirin laboring in the middle of the night while trying to make her way to the sea.

This story is gorgeous. From the setting to the relationship built between Jean and Muirin, the prose is lovely. The supporting characters of Anneke and Laurie only add to the deep love and relationships in this book.

Be aware that there is suspense, reference to past traumas, and two instances of violence towards wild/farm animals. I would consider these depictions mild compared to a lot of books, so don’t let that deter you if you don’t feel extreme sensitivity towards those topics.

Skilled young midwife Jean is drawn out of her remote cabin into a strong storm by a cry from her yard. There, she finds her nearest neighbor’s wife, alone in the wet and cold, about to give birth. In spite of the linguistic barrier, more of new mother Muirin’s secrets soon come to light, and questions about her situation rapidly become serious concerns. Jean will need all her courage, intelligence, and determination if she is to help the woman she loves escape the escalating danger that now threatens them both.

Author Rose Sutherland sets her absorbing and suspenseful retelling of The Selkie Wife in early 1830s small-town Nova Scotia. She richly evokes the coastal area’s natural world of forests, marshes, streams, ponds, and, of course, the sea. The townsfolk are a rich mix of fishers, farmers, tradespeople, and their families from the diverse Western European nationalities who have settled there. Even the secondary characters woven into Jean’s life are well fleshed out, and have stories that are intriguing in their own right. Her mentor Anneke, best friend Laurie, and childhood love Jo spring immediately to mind, but all are drawn with a depth that makes them worthy of the reader’s emotional investment.

Bottom line: The Sweet Sting of Salt is a multi-layered, sometimes beautiful, often intense, always well-written novel, with characters I cared about and a plot that gripped my attention from beginning to end. Would recommend, both for individual readers, and as an addition to public library general/historical adult fiction collections.

I have never been familiar with Gaelic fairy tales, so the concept of selkies was new to me. This was a really great introduction into their folklore. I really enjoyed the book and the main character, Jean. She has such gumption and a fierce loyalty to herself and what she thinks is right and it’s endearing. Muirin was a wonderfully developed charter and even with the language barrier hindering the communication what was said was meaningful. Also I loved Laurie and Anneke - they were such well developed side characters.

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

A retelling of the folk tale The Selkie Wife.

A quick 3-minute reference if you, like me, did not know the tale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fE11rw0s8w

I definitely think it would have helped to know the folktale prior to reading the novel because I must have skipped over that bold type when reading the synopsis and didn’t realize until nearly the end that this was fantasy and after further review a retelling.

Selkie’s are seals who when upon land can shed their skins and become beautiful naked women dancing in the moonlight. In The Selkie Wife, one of these Selkie’s skins is stolen by a fisherman and he takes her as his wife.

There are all kinds of problems I can see right away - um kidnapping, r*pe, etc. Rose Sutherland, in her author’s note, felt the same way and A Sweet Sting of Salt takes on new life in this queer historical fiction romance novel.

Like I said above, I missed the part before I started that expressed this was a retelling and fantasy - I went into it thinking it was a historical fiction/romance novel - so when the curtain came down at nearly the end of the book I kind of went OH this is where we are going. I don’t know if there were other hints throughout the book that I missed that told me that Muirin wasn’t just other she was OTHER, magical even - but a bit more or at least one other at least semi-obvious clue in the text would have been nice before the end. Something that made you feel and know you are in a fantasy.

Regardless of that, A Sweet Sting of Salt, is a worthy read. Our heroine, Jean, is real and fleshed out and even though you know she is putting herself in danger you can’t but agree - as the reader we feel her sense of helplessness and her strength to fight for what is right regardless of the consequences.

The novel ends satisfying and the author’s note brings it home. She says how in the original tale she got the sense that she was supposed to feel sorry for the fisherman because his wife had to return to the sea - but that isn’t love as Jean shows us in the end. Love must be freely given and accepted without force or obligation.

What an enchanting story!!

I hadn't read any kind of Celtic mythology that was like this, so I'm so happy that I was given the chance to read this early!! It was absolutely captivating, the writing was beautiful, and I loved Jean's character. Although I do feel like it was slightly predictable and I didn't necsarily feel a crazy amount of tension towards the later half of the story, I still think it was really well done. Personally, I was more into the relationships between the characters, especially that of Jean and Muirin. It was so well written and beautifully done. So even though I wasn't overly surprised by where the story headed, especially the darker moments/climax, I still enjoyed it and I can't wait to see what else Rose Sutherland writes. Very few people can write stories on mythology in a way that feels refreshing, yet loyal to the original tale, and I think Sutherland did a wonderful job at it!

Giving this one a 3.5/4!! I can see a lot of people liking this, especially ones that love any kind of take on mythology. It felt very whimsical and entrancing!! Definitely keeping my eye on Sutherland's stories in the future!

As always, thank you for the chance to read and review this early!!

A huge thank you to the publisher (and Netgalley) for the privilege to read this novel.

One of the biggest things that interested me growing up was always the folklore that has been passed down to me by my family (granted it is different from this novel, but it ultimately gave me the "feels" and nostalgia). One of the best things about the novel for me was the descriptive language the author used, there were parts of the story where I actually forgot I was just reading the book (I literally felt like I had a movie going on in my head, if that makes sense?

This book didn't take me that long to read, because I couldn't put it down. I needed to know how it unfolded. This was the first work that I have read from this author and was quite pleasantly please (I tend to stick to certain genres/authors). Overall, the ending wrapped up the story really nicely, and was a great happier ending than what I have been used to with other authors.

Thank you again to the publisher (& Netalley ) for the opportunity to read this novel. I look forward to seeing what is next!

I was so immersed in A Sweet Sting of Salt that I did not pause my reading to take notes. I really enjoyed reading a queer love story that is rooted in both fantastical mystery and historical fiction. Jean is a respected midwife who mostly keeps to herself. Her attraction to women is a sort of tacit secret and while this understanding allows Jean to move freely through society, it also isolates her in other unfair ways. What I most liked about Jean’s character is that Jean isn’t a loner or someone completely absorbed by melancholy. She’s funny and smart, independent and self-assured. Jean’s quiet life (minus the stress of delivering babies without modern technology) is turned upside down when she discovers Muirin outside her home and ready to give birth. Despite a language barrier, Jean and Muirin develop a beautiful connection that is threatened by the sinister secrets Muirin’s husband is keeping.

A Sweet Sting of Salt blends many genres at once and you do not need to be familiar with the mythology surrounding Selkies to enjoy this story. The plot is well paced and the story in punctuated by many moments of humor and joy. My only feedback is that the ending was a bit rushed. I would have enjoyed reading Muirin’s perspective throughout, rather than a short summary at the close of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for granting my wish and providing a e-ARC via Net Galley for review.

First off, I am an absolute sucker for selkie stories. I don’t even know why, but selkies are one of my top favorite mythological creatures. When I saw the title of A Sweet Sting of Salt and read the synopsis, I knew I needed this book immediately. When I got the email with an arc, I had to hold in screams of excitement and started reading almost immediately.

A Sweet Sting of Salt tells the story of Jean, a midwife in a small coastal town who keeps to herself, especially after rumors got around about her and her best friend having something romantic going on between them. But she has earned back her community’s respect because of her skill as a midwife. One night during a storm she hears a woman cry out and finds Muirin, her neighbor’s wife, about to have her baby, and quickly gets her inside. Because of Jean’s own history, she’s nervous to let Muirin leave immediately because some of her behaviors seem off and she wants to keep an eye on her and the baby, keep them safe. Over the time she and Muirin become friens, Muirin’s husband Tobias becomes jealous and some of his behaviors worry Jean to the point that when Muirin returns home, Jean can’t help but want to help her.

I really love the writing; it has a slow, almost lyrical quality that works really well for telling a folktale reimagining. There are so many great moments to show the deepening of the friendship between Jean and Muirin, and so many moments so full of quiet tension as Tobias’ true nature was revealed. Also Jean’s chosen family of Anneke and Laurie are some of my favorites, and I love the support she has. Also I loved and adored that queerness was portrayed, especially that even if by-and-large community couldn’t know both Jean and Laurie had family and friends and support and love.

This is such a great twist on The Selkie Wife folktale and made my heart so full of warm-fuzzies by the end. I just, this book is so much what I didn’t even know I wanted or needed in my life. I can’t wait to see what else Rose Sutherland writes, because with A Sweet Sting of Salt, Sutherland is already off to a great start.

[Cannonball review will post April 7, 2024]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting my wish!

Folklore has always been of interest to me and the story of the Selkie Wife is one I recall of having heard when I was a child, albeit in a different language, which is why I wished for the book on sight.

This book is a marvel! The historical world building in this book is impressive and submersive, making me feel as though I was there, day to day. The author's research clearly must've been immaculate if it allowed her to construct a world that really makes you feel as though the novel's world is the world you live in.

The writing of course is also a large part of the immersion and I enjoyed the structure of the novel as well as the writing style of the author. There is a tense and yet subdued pace to the story, wherein there are many day-to-day, mundane events that all somehow build the overall tension the reader grows to feel throughout the book -- when it breaks, events happen in a breathtaking rush that makes the book un-put-downable.

Mythologically, it is also well constructed, things making the right amount of sense in order to not break you out of the immersion. The superstitious nature of the town blended into the magical structure in a truly fascinating manner.

Of course, the main focus of the book were the relationships between Jean and everyone around her. The characters were well constructed: flawed, real and believable. Jean's development over the course of the book was heartwarming and I loved her interactions with everyone around her. Muirin was amazing -- I just loved everything about her.

Overall, a must read of the retelling genre! Highly recommended.