The Hollow Sea

Author Annie Kirby
Narrator Fran Burgoyne
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date 18 August 2022
Run Time 10 hours and 26 minutes
Format Audio
Genre Modern and contemporary fiction, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales.

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

A mesmerising literary debut interwoven with mythology and legend

When Scottie realises that she may never become a mother, she makes the heart-breaking decision to flee to the remote North Atlantic archipelago of St Hia.

Lashed by storms and far from the mainland, the islands are dangerous. Many have been lost to the ferocious tides known as the Hollow Sea - and local folklore warns that St Hia was once the home of a witch. Her name was Thordis, and when she was unable to provide her husband with a child, she was driven to a terrible act...

The islanders warn newcomers against examining the past, but Scottie can't look away from the mystery of what happened to Thordis.

Could it be that St Hia's troubled history holds the key to Scottie's future?

© Annie Kirby 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

A bold, magical story about the letting go of long-held hope and building a different future

Jo Browning Wroe, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Terrible Kindness

Deftly structured and set against a wild, myth-inspired backdrop, the novel explores grief and violence, freedom and redemption. It’s a majestic work of the imagination, with writing that shimmers before the reader, underpinned by a howling, fearless story. I loved it and woke up thinking about it

Rosie Andrews, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Leviathan

An atmospheric tale shot through with folklore. Annie Kirby’s writing shimmers as she weaves together the threads of Scottie’s forgotten past and her journey to face a future where she won’t be the mother she always hoped to be. Beautiful & hopeful

Kate Sawyer, Costa-shortlised author of The Stranding

A beautifully written, heart-rending atmospheric novel of finding what makes one whole

Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring

This mesmerising tale has just the right amount of folklore to be magical

Good Housekeeping

An incredibly beautiful story, shot through with shimmering myth, sorrow and hope

Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child

One of those rare novels that combines a page-turning story with language to savour. A beguiling and beautiful tale about motherhood, nature and art, The Hollow Sea celebrates the many different ways we might create and nurture.

Emma Sweeney, author of Owl Song at Dawn

A thoughtful, beautiful gem of a story and I loved it

Rebecca F. John, Costa-shortlisted author of The Haunting of Henry Twist

A stunning debut, part myth and part touching story of infertility and motherhood. I was swept away on a stormy sea and didn’t want it to end. Delicious storytelling

Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl

A poetic tale

Prima

In The Hollow Sea, Annie Kirby has taken the external societal shaming and internal lived reality of involuntarily childless women and transformed them into an extraordinarily lyrical story. This book insinuated itself into my soul like a poem; whilst taking my mind on a mythical, allegorical adventure that lingers in my subconscious like a painting. Whether you are a parent or non-parent, this extraordinary novel will drench you in beauty. I adored it.

Jody Day, author of Living the Life Unexpected and founder of Gateway Women

A real beauty. A magical story of one woman’s infertility combined with a mythical sea world. Beautiful

Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female

Beautifully written with a hint of mythology and well-drawn characters, this is a captivating story of love and loss that will stay with you

Candis

An absolutely beautiful story of love, loss, family and motherhood. Told in interweaving strands, it follows the story of Scottie whose mysterious past haunts her, and whose own struggles to become a mother is slowly destroying her . . . I read this book in just two sittings, the lyrical prose pulled me in and held me captivated, and my heart wept and sang in equal measure. Truly stunning

Louise Morrish, author of Operation Moonlight

Annie Kirby writes so beautifully about place, I felt I was there with her on the islands, watching the waves. I love how she weaves together myth and reality, and found her portrayal of Scottie and Jasminder’s thwarted attempts to have children very moving

Sarah Butler, author of Before The Fire

The Hollow Sea elegantly interweaves the stories of two women haunted by hope and loss. Eloquent and moving, with a touch of folklore, this is a beautiful, hopeful tale

Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women

Heart-wrenching, haunting, and ultimately hopeful too. Extraordinary. Beautiful, thought-provoking and woven through with folklore and myth, an utterly absorbing read that will touch your heart. Magnificent. Unforgettable.

Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts

Fiercely original . . . a really powerful, provocative and original debut

Natasha Solomons, author of I, Mona Lisa

An exquisitely-crafted novel about heritage, folklore and the persistent roar of unfulfilled dreams. When I finished it, I felt like I’d emerged from the sea, dripping with salt and tangled in kelp. Dizzyingly brilliant

Lizzie Pook, author of Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter

A Coast ‘Book of the Month’

Incredibly atmospheric and multifaceted

Culturefly

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