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
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
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
A beautifully written, heart-rending atmospheric novel of finding what makes one whole
This mesmerising tale has just the right amount of folklore to be magical
An incredibly beautiful story, shot through with shimmering myth, sorrow and hope
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.
A thoughtful, beautiful gem of a story and I loved it
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
A poetic tale
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.
A real beauty. A magical story of one woman’s infertility combined with a mythical sea world. Beautiful
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
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
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
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
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.
Fiercely original . . . a really powerful, provocative and original debut
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
A Coast ‘Book of the Month’
Incredibly atmospheric and multifaceted
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