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The Hollow Sea by Annie Kirby

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The Hollow Sea

Publisher
Penguin Books Ltd
Publish Date
18 August 2022
Run Time
10 hours 26 minutes
Format
Audiobook
$13.95

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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

See more reviews
  • 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

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Details

Author
Annie Kirby
Narrator
Fran Burgoyne
Duration
10 hours 26 minutes
Release Date
18 August 2022
ISBN
9781405951869
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Penguin Books Ltd
Genre
Traditional or cultural fiction and true stories, tales and retellings, Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: identity / belonging, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: sense of place

Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.A mesmerising literary debut interwoven with mythology and legendWhen 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

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