A gothic tale of family, the legend of the selkies – shapeshifting mythological creatures – and a young woman who is offered an impossible choice. With thanks to Leticia for her review.
As someone who doesn’t typically read Gothic fiction, I wasn’t sure what to expect but the Scottish sea setting and mythological draw of selkies prompted me to pick up The Bone Diver, that and the gorgeous cover.
A first-person tale of Kier Sealgair, the only child of a seal-hunting family, no longer able to kill and fearful of no longer fulfilling the family reputation and their livelihood. Alternative skill brings her to the attention of Lady Erskine. Rumours circulate around the Erskine family, but circumstances prompt Kier to cross from the security of the small coastal community into the estate’s oddities. The motives start unknown beyond diving for bones and to not ask questions, but over time and with each dive, Kier’s presence ripples through the Erskine family; it’s an exploration of family connections and isolation.
The setting is compact, the character numbers small but the woods are twisty and the sea is angered.
Being new to the genre, this reviewer doesn’t have a comparable recommendation, but it didn’t feel too heavy and perhaps a good entry-level Gothic fiction read for anyone curious to dip their toe. On a lighter tone, there’s an accompanying otter and the cover compliments the winter Tea Leaves and Reads bookmark wonderfully!
About the Book
A gothic tale of family, the legend of the selkies – shapeshifting mythological creatures – and a young woman who is offered an impossible choice.
The only daughter in a family of Scottish seal-hunters, Kier Sealgair is becoming a burden. She cannot kill, and the family are facing hard times now that her father is ailing. On the neighbouring cliffs stands Erskine Manor, home to a mysterious and wealthy family. Servants arrive in town to buy supplies, but the family is never seen, and waves of rumour spread in the struggling small-town community.
Then, one day, after a chance encounter, Lady Erskine finds Kier and offers her a bargain that could save Kier’s father and change the town’s impending fate. But questions remain. Who lives in the five towers of the manor? Is the Lord of the house alive? And are the children of the manor even human, or are the tales of spine-toothed monsters who roam the grounds true?
A period gothic tale of legends, secrets and monsters in the deep, weaving myth and folklore, The Bone Diver is perfect for fans of Jenni Fagan, Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.
About The Author
Angie Spoto is an American writer living in Scotland. She grew up near Chicago, lived in the Netherlands, and eventually moved to Scotland to get her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. She loves stories that are dark and surreal, strange and magical, and is inspired by writers like Ursula Le Guinn, Octavia Butler, Leonora Carrington, and Naomi Novik. She loves fairy tales, especially Scottish ones. She lives beside the shore with her husband and son.
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