The Island Child

A spellbinding, deeply felt debut novel--soaring and poignant--about passion, freedom, motherhood, and the power to shape our destinies. Oona grew up on the island of Inis: a wind-blasted rock off the coast of Ireland where the men went out on fishing boats and the women tended turf fires; where the only book was the Bible; and where girls stayed at home until they became mothers themselves. The island was a gift for some, a prison for others. Even as a child, Oona knew she wanted to leave, but she never could have anticipated the tumultuous turn of events that would ultimately compel her to flee. Now, after twenty years--after Oona has forged a new, very different life for herself--her daughter vanishes, forcing Oona to face her past in order, finally, to be free of it. Heralding a singularly gifted new voice in fiction, The Island Child is a timeless story of birth and betrayal, storms and shipwrecks and fairy children, and the weight of long-buried secrets.

"Originally published in hardcover by Canongate Books Ltd., Edinburgh, in 2020."--Title page verso.

LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 'Thrillingly original' Naoise Dolan 'Exquisite' Daily Telegraph Twenty years ago, Oona left the island of Inis for the very first time. A wind-blasted rock of fishing boats and turf fires, where girls stayed in their homes until they became mothers themselves, the island was a gift for some, a prison for others. The Island Child tells two stories: of the girl who grew up watching births and betrayals, storms and secrets, and of the adult Oona, desperate to find a second chance, only to discover she can never completely escape. As the strands of Oona’s life come together, in blood and marriage and motherhood, she must accept the price we pay when we love what is never truly ours . . .

This is a history of British Columbia’s island children, told in their voices, from their perspectives. Composed of twenty-two stories, Island Kids is a snapshot of a period and place in time. The topics range from quintessentially coastal experiences, like a day at the beach, to stories that deal with serious issues, such as BC’s history of residential schools, but they all remain true to the experience of the children telling the story. At the end of each chapter is a section called “What do we know for sure?” that gives the reader greater depth and context. The stories are written in a dynamic and authentic voice and are aimed at readers aged eight to twelve. Unlike history that has either been fictionalized or told from an adult’s perspective, the Courageous Kids series brings history to kids in their own words. Truly original, Kidmonton, Rocky Mountain Kids, and Island Kids strive to communicate the events and emotions of kids. Please visit www.courageouskids.ca for more information on the whole Courageous Kids series.

A spellbinding debut novel--soaring and poignant--about passion, freedom, motherhood, and the power we have to shape our destinies. Oona grew up on the island of Inis: a wind-blasted rock off the coast of Ireland. There, the men went out on fishing boats and the women tended turf fires, the only book was the Bible, and girls stayed at home until they became mothers themselves. Even as a child, Oona knew she wanted to escape island life, but she never could have anticipated the tumultuous turn of events that would ultimately compel her to flee. Twenty years later, after Oona has forged a new, very different life for herself, her daughter vanishes, forcing Oona to face her past in order, finally, to be free of it. Heralding a singularly gifted new voice in fiction, The Island Child is a timeless story of birth and betrayal, storms, shipwrecks and fairy children, and the weight of long-buried secrets.

Sunday Everette has a childhood unlike any other in the "Jim Crow" era of the South, growing up at the Pea Island Life-Saving Station among the barren dunes of North Carolina's stormy Outer Banks. In sheltered isolation, guided solely by the influence of the Station's heroic all-black crewmen, she blossoms into a strong and beautiful young woman with a spirit to match. But Sunday's secluded paradise cannot last. Her calm, simple days by the sea must inevitably give way to the fast-approaching storms of life. Unexpectedly, those darkening skies bring with them an unlikely mix of forbidden love, murder, and revenge--along with a Nazi submarine carrying millions of dollars in gold stolen from Hitler's Third Reich. First in a trilogy, Sunday's Child begins the saga of three unique families from across the world, flung fatally together by three of mankind's most basic traits: war, love, and greed.

An action-packed survival suspense from bestselling and award-winning author Gordon Korman. Six kids. One shipwreck. One desert island.They didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They were sent there as punishment, or as a character-building experience. Now the adults are gone, and the quest for survival has begun.

Fortunately for us, Dot Simpson vividly remembered her early island life and wrote about it with moving simplicity. Her memoir is brightened with dry humor, and it tells of a time long lost but infused with values we still cherish, such as love of home and family. Even though it is a story tinged with considerable sadness, we can't help but wish we could have spent at least a few of our own growing-up years alongside Dot, as an island child.