The Fisherman's Gift
By: Julia R. Kelly

5 Stars

This book had a bit of a slow rhythm. It was filled with what I'd call a melancholy feel. A child appears on the beach during a storm, which rocks a small town. It brings memories of another storm, the storm that brought tragedy.

This book was a well written look into loss. It was not a book I would call enjoyable. It was sad, but it was beautiful in its message. It was descriptive and lyrical. It was very well done. Once I picked it up, it had me. The book blended past and present in a way that will break you and heal you at the same time.

I would recommend this story to anyone who needs a good emotional and well written book, but it is a book I would also call triggering due to its content.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

The story takes place in the very cold and snowed in fishing village of Skerry in Scotland. The year being 1900, a fisherman named Joseph, finds a young boy who washes ashore during a storm. He takes him to safety of the ministers home. Soon the minister and his wife are unable to care for the boy. The teacher named Dorothy, is asked to take him in her care. She accepts the boy into her home, but he resembles the son she lost to the sea many years ago. The boy is same age as her son was. The winter seems so long and in the meantime the minister is seeking out the family of the child. And they did find the child's family.

The reason I wanted to read this book is my love for historical novel and interest of novels taking place in Scotland. This debut novel by Julia R. Kelly kept my attention, just wanting to know what the characters to through next. Thank you to Julia, Simon & Schuster and Net Galley me the honor to read this novel before publishing. I surely want to add Julia R. Kelly to my list of favorite authors.

The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R Kelly is a highly recommended historical domestic drama full of heartbreak set in Skerry, a remote Scottish fishing village.

In 1900 Dorothy Aitken is a schoolmistress in Skerry when a child is found washed ashore by the fisherman Joseph and circumstances result in Dorothy caring for him. She has lived there for years and all the villagers know of the heartbreaking tragedy she experienced years earlier when her young son Moses went missing and was presumed lost in the sea. Only his boot was found.

When Dorothy first arrived she struggled to be accepted in the close-knit gossipy village, which resulted in her setting herself apart from others. All those years ago she and Joseph fell in love but a local woman, Agnes, wanted Joseph for herself and made that clear. Meanwhile tongues were wagging as the gossip swirled around everything.

The past and the present collide in this even paced atmospheric historical tale of love, guilt, loss, grief, secrets, and disappointment. The narrative follows two timelines, the current action and years ago when Dorothy fell in love with Joseph. The plot unfolds through the characters of Dorothy, Agnes, Joseph, William, and other Skerry residents.

The writing is really quite lovely in this literary historical tale. Normally I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but the descriptive passages and the care with which the characters were developed make this special. The characters are all portrayed as realistic people, full of flaws and failings and the world they are living in is equally dismal in many ways. Everyone has their own burdens, struggles, and secrets.

The Fisherman's Gift is a great choice for those who appreciate historical literary fiction. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The Fisherman's Gift was an enjoyable and haunting read. About the life, drama and rumors of a small Scottish fishing village and how the sea can give and take life.
I found the story interesting and it kept my attention the entire time, I especially liked how it jumped back and forth between the past and present. I really felt for Dorothy when she realized that all of her mistakes and the times she wasn't enough was what plagued her memory, when all the good things had hidden. I feel that's how we all feel about ourselves. The development and growth of Dorothy throughout the book was incredibly hopeful and well written.

The Fisherman's Gift is set in Scotland in the early 1900s. This is a story about Dorothy and her life. I found this to be a very slow moving story. The writing is strong but it is a very heavy character driven storyline.

Dorothy is a mother, teacher and wife. Her son has died. This is a very heavy story about grief and lack of communication. It showed the ripple effects of this break down in communication.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a different kind of story...part tragedy, part romance, part cautionary tale.

When Dorothy's son Moses goes missing, presumed drowned, it starts a chain of events and secrets that were kept well hidden. When a child washes up on the beach of Skerry, Dorothy's and the town's wounds are reopened.

What I liked: the characters were well-fleshed out, the reader knows a lot about the people who live in Skerry. Dorothy's devotion to her son Moses, and the strength it took for her to welcome Johan into her home.

What I disliked: the towns people were cold and mean, especially to Dorothy. There was very little compassion and a lot of judgement. I realize the book took place in a time when people were less free to be themselves, though. The book was a slow read for me, and I wasn't as vested in the characters as I would have liked. Not bad, just slow moving.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

In 1900 Skerry, a small Scottish fishing village, a young boy washes up on shore during a big winter storm. The child bears a striking resemblance to teacher Dorothy's son, who was lost at sea around the same age several years ago. The village is soon snowed in and Dorothy agrees to look after the boy until they can find out where he came from. Over time, Dorothy begins to believe that this boy might be her child returned to her from the sea. She also has to face the truth about some events from her past, including an affair with a local fisherman named Joseph. Lots of buried secrets come to the surface in this small village in this story about love, grief and forgiveness.

This was a very well written historical fiction novel told from multiple viewpoints going back and forth in time. The multiple characters in the village are flawed but feel like real people. I really enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to more from this author.

This book started slow and a bit confusing. Between the many different points of view and the two different timelines, I struggled to get into it and stay into it. But the last 30% brought so many things together and told the story in a beautiful way. This story is one about grief and communication (or a lack thereof). Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book take place in a small fishing village in the early 1900's. Dorothy is a teacher in town who has never felt accepted by the villagers. Dorothy's son drowned several years earlier. During a big snowstorm, another little boy who bears a resemblance to her son washes up on shore, there are so many questions. This little boy ends up staying with Dorothy until his family is found.

At times, the book was kinda slow moving but about 2/3 of the way thru, I began to get more invested in it and started to understand Dorothy more.

3.5/5 stars

Interesting story set in 1900 in a small fishing village in Scotland. Really kept my interest to see what would happen next and how the main mystery of the story would play out. Great debut novel!!

I'll get straight to the point here.

All The Fisherman's Gift had to do was comp to The Snow Child and I was going to check it out. And I'm so glad it caught my attention. It's as near a perfect reading experience as it can be. Author Julia Kelly anchors the story around Dorothy and seamlessly weaves the past and present together among several POVs. It's a heartbreaking story (as one would expect when the premise centers around a lost child), but utterly satisfying. This is one I'd fully recommend and can see myself reading again.

Thanks very much to the publisher for making this book available to read and review through NetGalley.

4.25⭐️

A beautiful, atmospheric story set in Scotland!

When a child washes up on the shores of a small, Scottish fishing village, a woman can’t help but notice the resemblance the child has to her son who perished in the sea many years ago. As the town sets out to answer the mystery in where the child came from, its residents grapple with their secrets from the past.

This book was such an unexpected surprise! It was not on my radar but I thought the description was intriguing so requested I requested it. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Will post my review on or close to the publication date.

Set in a small village in the Scottish Highlands, a small boy washes ashore during a storm. The village rallies around him to take care of him and find his family. The local school teacher, Dorothy, is chosen to take him into her home.

Dorothy, who had lost a son to the sea, thinks this boy is sent for her. She wavers between reality and her hopefulness to keep him with her permanently. Her grief of the loss of her own son often renders her confused.

As the boy recovers and his family sought, readers will learn Dorothy’s history in the village, where she has known love, loss and a deep sense of guilt. By the story’s end, Dorothy will offer forgiveness and friendship where she withheld it before and will learn the value of a community’s strength.

I loved the story, but at times I found it unbelievably sad. The forgiveness and lasting love was one I won’t soon forget.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this to readers and give my honest review.

The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R. Kelly is a beautifully written novel that weaves together family secrets, love, and loss with a poignant historical backdrop. Set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, Kelly’s vivid descriptions of the sea and its people create a captivating atmosphere. The characters are deeply relatable, with rich emotional depth that made me feel like I was right there with them, experiencing their joys and heartaches.

What really stood out to me was the author’s ability to bring the past and present together in such a seamless way. The alternating timelines added layers of mystery and reflection, making me want to keep turning pages to uncover the full story.

I’m giving it 4 out of 5 stars. While I loved the overall story and its emotional impact, there were a few moments where the pacing lagged a bit. Despite that, it’s a heartfelt and compelling read that I highly recommend to fans of historical fiction and family sagas.

At the novel's onset, the many characters in the village appear to be caricatures: the bully, the standoffish newcomer, the gossips, the love interest, the kindhearted Minister, and the insightful female grocer. But as the story progresses, these many characters are fleshed out and we see what's going on inside their heads and why they act and interact the way they do. This is a character-driven novel with two timelines: the past, when six-year-old Moses appears to have drowned and the effect this tragedy has on so many of the characters, and the present, when a barely-alive six-year-old boy is found washed ashore. It's a tragedy that turns out to be a mixed-blessing as many of the characters look into themselves and learn from it.

Of note is the author's explanation regarding some of the themes within the story: misunderstandings, forgiveness, the importance of meaningful communication, women's friendships, maternal shame, and the epiphany of being a "Good Enough Mother." Quite the debut novel!

What a great story and truly enjoyable read. I loved it. This is as fictional book set on the coastline of Scotland and the whole time I read it I felt transported to the place and the characters became my friends. The setting is 1900’s in a small fishing village as the winter season begins. Dorothy, a teacher in the village, years ago lost a young son to a storm. His body was never recovered. Suddenly another young boy washes ashore and Dorothy is asked to take him in until his identity is discovered and he can be returned to his family. The story is full of love, loss, small town gossip and so much more. This is a book that made me anxious to read more of her works in the future. Dorothy’s story is one of trying to live in an unaccepting place and grief at the loss of her son. She meets a fisherman and he tries to help befriend the boy and Dorothy.

I wish to thank Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This historical fiction novel was difficult to read because of the sadness and despair. It overpowers the story and lies heavily upon the reader. The small village of Skerry is a self-contained and closed community, with much judgement and gossip. Grief and lost love overwhelm one woman’s life when she loses her young child to the sea. Years later, during a storm, another boy is seemingly returned.

A story of love, grief set in a small village, a boy is found on the shore by Dorothy, a local teacher, and a woman who knows the heartbreak of loss, as she lost her son.

When the boy is found, Dorothy seems drawn to this boy, he reminds her of the son that she loved, and lost to the sea, and so she is drawn to him, and cares for him. At times it feels as though, to her, that this is her son returned to her.

This story goes back and forth between time, sharing some of Dorothy’s life, as well as how some of the townspeople react to Dorothy and some of the decisions she’s made in her life, as well.


Pub Date: 18 Mar 2025


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

A character driven debut that takes a deep dive into difficult topics. 💔

In 1900 a young boy washes ashore in a close knit Scottish fishing village. The young survivor’s sudden appearance brings the past to the surface and the story that unfolds is poignant. The young boy is soon placed under the care of Dorothy the local school teacher and bereaved mother of a son thought drowned many years ago. Taking responsibility for the boy causes Dorothy to take inventory of her emotions and a hard look at the past. The narrative shifts from the current timeline to the past showing pieces of Dorothy’s journey and also that of fellow villagers. Upon her arrival Dorothy wasn’t accepted and was the center of local gossip many times. The locals seem cruel and Dorothy is socially cold so the two don’t mesh well. However, instead of the author making the villagers one dimensional “meanies” she scrapes away the social preening and shows characters who are each struggling to reach toward anything to improve the quality of their lives.

Will these flawed characters ever learn the power of an extended hand or kindness?

A character study of the many facets of forgiveness.

Sadness and growth are thick within these pages, making this a worthwhile debut.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an Advance Reading Copy for review. All opinions are my own.

The Fisherman's Gift is a debut. The writing is strong.

In a small Scottish fishing village a boy washes up on shore, Dorothy who is the teacher in this town lost her son years ago. This boy reminds Dorothy of her son. Dorothy has to grapple with her emotions of the past and the loss of her son and her love to a fisherman.

The towns people where very mean to Dorothy. The main character was a poor communicator which made her out to be a weak female. This is not my kind of book.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC for my honest opinion.