SELKIE GIRL

ELIN JEAN has always known she was different from the others on their remote island home. She is a gentle soul, and can't stand the annual tradition of killing seal babies to thin the population. Even Tam McCodron, the gypsy boy to whom she is strangely drawn, seems to belong more than she does. It's just a matter of time until Elin Jean discovers the secret of her past: her mother, Margaret, is a selkie, held captive by her smitten father, who has kept Margaret's precious seal pelt hostage for 16 years. Soon Elin Jean faces a choice about whether to free her mother from her island prison. And, as the child of this unusual union, she must make another decision. Part land, part sea, she will explore both worlds and dig deep inside herself to figure out where she belongs and where her future lies. Poignant, meaningful, and romantic, Selkie Girl is a lyrical debut about a mesmerizing legend.

A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC. NEW YORK

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Cover art 2010 by Polka Dot Images/Fotosearch

See Reviews Below

Selkie Girl Reviews

"Brooks rich prose reverberates with vivid, cinematic images. The author succeeds in conveying the fully fleshed-out characters' anguish and conflict. This marvelous offering brings to mind Alice Hoffman's Indigo and Karen Hesse's The Music of Dolphins. It's not to be missed."

— School Library Journal

"Brooks' coming of age story is full of secrets, teenage angst, fierce longing to belong, dramatic rescues, revenge, and true love. Her tone mimics traditional lore: appropriately dark, moody, and satisfyingly old fashioned." — Booklist

"The legend of the selkies is densely imagined and fully embodied in this lyrical narrative... The prose has a Celtic lilt that adds dimension and authenticity. This will have strong appeal for readers who enjoy metamorphic fantasies as well as Celtic mythology." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Compelling, compassionate characters and creatively detailed descriptions of the terrain above and below the surface of the sea." — Kirkus Reviews