Sita Brahmachari subtly and skilfully weaves a selkie skin into this story which has a contemporary setting in the Orkney Islands, linking it to a tale type especially prevalent around the coasts of Ireland and Scotland, bringing together themes of loss and new beginnings, friendship and cultural heritage. Jane Ray’s luminous illustrations evoke the aquatic environment and the liminal space between sand and sea where Isla and her family are seeking a new beginning following the loss of her brother Corey. Halfway through the story a Celtic knot design common to Isla’s father’s Yoruba heritage and her mother’s Orcadian one twines across the page visually uniting the strands of her dual heritage.
