by Margo Lanagan
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. 305 pgs. Young Adult Fiction
On remote Rollrock Island the men make their living, and fetch their wives, from the sea.
The sea witch Misskaela will call the girl out of a seal for anyone, for a price of course. Pay the witch, hide the seal skin, and keep an enchantingly beautiful woman forever. At least, that is what the men of Rollrock Island tell themselves. But the magic costs more than money given to the witch, and everyone on the island pays that price.
This book was so thought-provoking! The men of Rollrock Island didn’t always get their wives from the sea, and watching that transition unfold was both heartbreaking and fascinating. I really appreciated how the book plays out the consequences of their decision. It didn’t leave the problems with taking sea-wives unaddressed. I think this book would be a good one for a group discussion.
ER
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