Here's how I'm going to start my review...

A few years ago I read a book called Tiffany Blues by MJ Rose. It wasn't my usual genre of reading, but the description sucked me in to giving it a try, needless to say, I was sucked in from the get go. The Fisherman's Gift was absolutely heartbreaking, emotional, thought provocative and something I won't soon forget. It's written in the early 1900s, not something I usually read, but OMG I'm so thankful I decided to read this book. I cried throughout this story, seriously wondered how a small village could possibly treat one person so horribly, and in the end how the full circle of this book could have taught me so much. This is a new author for me, and I plan on reading alot more of her books in the future. Truly enjoyed this very well written, captivating, and emotional book she has produced. There are no other words I can express at this point.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

I really loved the premise of this book and how it came full circle. I think the changing POV's were intriguing because you got the full picture of what happened piece by piece. I really liked the atmospheric elements of this book and how the solitude almost became it's own character in some ways. The struggle I had with this book was the short, choppy, chapters that went nowhere. I think there were concise events that led to the past, however this was not really outlined and plotted well. I felt that the ending felt a bit awkward and seemed to really drag out as well. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Mothers seem to only remember what they could have done better, not what they have done great. Why is this statement so true? This is how Dorothy feels throughout The Fisherman’s Gift.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts I loved, but at times it was slow moving. I felt frustrated with the relationship between a Dorothy and Jacob. The lack of communication was frustrating. Once I got past that, and understood the characters better I began enjoying the book more. The end was very emotional. A good ending can make you change your perspective on an entire book and that is what happened for me. The beginning of the book started slow but I loved the ending. I grew to love the flawed characters once all the secrets came out.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my first novel by Julia R. Kelly and I will read more.

I really liked the premise of this book and was hooked early on! A small seaside village, an outsider moving in, and the drama that goes along with it -- yes, please! At some point, the plot started to unravel, the mystery elements became tired, and when the resolution was finally revealed, I just felt sad. There was SO MUCH needless suffering by so many characters for so many years, that just a few short honest conversations could have prevented. It wasn't a satisfying ending to me and left me feeling sad.

Beautiful story! Reminding me that everyone has a secret and that respecting each other is a lifetime challenge. All the women in The Fisherman's Gift have some type of maternal instinct of varying degrees. Dorothy is every one of their secrets embraced in one character and yet unaware of her connection to those she feels are ostrasizing her. Julia R. Kelly's setting plays into the story as another Mother Nature character with her own secrets. I highly recommend this novel it will raise many questions for women.

A small Scottish village has secrets, and Dorothy has been keeping one for many years, but the biggest secret and puzzle is did someone have anything to do with the disappearance/drowning of Dorothy’s son, Moses.

When another child who looks like Moses washes up many years later, it brings back all the questions for the village and the emotions for Dorothy.

Dorothy is asked to take care of the child and says no at first - she knows she should help out, but she can’t.

But then she realizes she needs to help out the people in the village and the child. It turns out to be good for her.

The characters were portrayed perfectly for that time period and setting even though some characters caused Dorothy to make decisions she really didn't want to make.

THE FISHERMAN'S GIFT is not an uplifting read, but it is beautifully written, has a pull-you-in storyline, and a main character you don't know if you want to feel sorry for or be angry with for the choices she makes.

A moving, thought-provoking debut that may have you thinking about decisions you have made and/or ones you may make. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Fisherman's Gift, by Julia R Kelly, is a touching story of love and grief. In a small Scottish fishing village, a half-drowned little boy is found along the shore. Dorothy, a local teacher, cares for the child. She knows a mother’s sorrow from loss, for she lost her own son years ago. At times, she it feels that this little boy is her child, somehow miraculously returned to her. I loved the set-up as the story goes back and forth between “now” and “then,” filling in the backstory of Dorothy’s life.

As a young woman, Dorothy arrives at this small village, one so banded together that, even years later, she feels like an unwelcome entruder, judged and even shunned. Fisherman Joseph, a young eligible man, is smitten with Dorothy, but the relationship seems doomed from the start. Interference from the town’s people forces a wedge between them.

The author does an especially good job in describing townspeople, who are gossipy and spiteful. The writing is beautiful, with words that call to be read again and again:

“And a sense of wonder steals over Dorothy as she sits there for a long time, the room lightening with the coming day, and thinks about the sleeping boy downstairs and how God works in mysterious ways.”

What a sad and touching story, one that I will carry with me for a while.

Seriously, this is a DEBUT novel? Can’t wait to see what’s waiting for us next. Set in a small Scottish fishing village in 1900, a small boy washes up on the beach. Years before another boy, remarkably similar, was washed away by the sea on the same beach. Dorothy, the lost boys mother, takes in the found boy. Dark secrets are exposed, human drama, love lost, so much here. Great storyline that is well times and populated with good well developed characters. Get yourself on that library waiting list!

Such a heartfelt story. The Fisherman’s Gift is a dual timeline story taking place around the year 1900 in Scotland with the past timeline following our main character Dorothy and her life after moving to a small fishing village with the present timeline following the mystery behind a boy washing up on shore during a storm later in her life.

It was very character driven and the author handled all of the difficult topics with care. I was very moved by a lot of characters we were introduced to, really pulled at my heartstrings. A lot of ups and downs, but a story of forgiveness in the end. Really well done and I recommend.

Thank you for the gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review. I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy for my library!

I just finished 'Wild Dark Shore' by Charlotte McConaghy, so strangely this is the second book I've read recently that opens with a mysterious person washing ashore. In this story, a young boy is discovered (who is unable to speak) several years after a woman's own son disappeared in the same place. Is this boy a changeling sent to replace her son? Or just a stand-in for her immense grief? I loved all of the characters in this, but the novel is one of those where I just wanted to demand that the characters speak to one another because the amount of misunderstandings stemming from no communication is abundant. I also had a hard time distinguishing between time frames because the narrative jumps back and forth quite a bit. There weren't really any surprises with the storytelling, but the setting of a small Scottish village and the descriptive writing helped push aside most of the criticisms I had. I might have liked it even more if I hadn't just read 'Wild Dark Shore' to compare it to.

It’s 1900 and Skerry, a small Scottish fishing village, is destined for an unyielding winter. During a storm, a young boy washes up on the shore. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy’s son, lost to the sea at the same age many years before, his body never found.

Dorothy is an enigma. She is a character which tugs at your heart strings. But she is also stubborn, refuses help and also makes some bad decisions. So in other words, very true to life.

As much as I loved this setting of a small Scottish fishing village, this story fell completely apart for me about 50 percent into this book. This novel had such a strong start and I was loving it. But then it just got so boring and repetitive. I did finish it and it rebounded a bit at the ending. Now, as I always say, read this for yourself. It has quite a few 5 star reviews. It is emotional and it is unique, so I would read it and form my own opinion.

If you need a story about love, loss and overcoming tragedy…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This is a wonderful story that pulls on every emotion. The atmosphere Julia R Kelly has built around this fishing village adds an extra character to the story, the events that happen could not be without the village's remoteness and harsh weather. Told in two timelines, then when the characters were young and had high hopes and goals, and now where we see them as fate has beaten them down. Emotions swing from guarded hope to love and longing. This is definitely a story to be read when you can give it your full attention. Once started, you'll not want to set it down. I truly loved THE FISHERMAN'S GIFT and would not be surprised if a few of my friends receive an early birthday gift. After all, a good book is better when shared.

This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, tragic, and healing. Dorothy lost her son in the worst way possible, one night when he got out of the house and drowned in the sea. Years later a boy washes up on the shore who looks just like the son lost. Dorothy is reluctant at first to take the young man into her house but when she does falls in love with him and dreads the day that they might find his original family. This book is told from a couple of different perspectives. This book is beautifully crafted through flashbacks, current time, and three main perspectives to allow the reader a much broader view of what happened that fateful night. This book sweeps the reader up into a world where misunderstandings are abundant, but hindsight is 20/20. This is a lovely book and perfect for a book group. I am excited to start recommending it soon.
Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This is a beautifully written, deeply atmospheric and heartbreaking novel about a woman, her love, and two children. It moves back and forth in time to tell the story of Dorothy, a teacher, moved to Skerry but struggles to become part of the community-but she's always been apart from others. She falls deeply for Joseph, who is beloved by Agnes but the relationship founders on her own fears. And Her child Moses is lost in the sea and she retreats further into herself until the day Joseph, the fisherman, emerges from the water with a small boy who Dorothy takes in until his parents can be found. Kelly captures the gossip and life of a small town not only from Dorothy's perspective but also from that of Mrs. Brown, the storekeeper, and of Agnes. Thanks for the ARC. I found this mesmerizing and a page turner- no spoilers from me about the answers to the questions you'll have, especially about Moses. It's a terrific read.

Can she learn to let go of her painful past?

In a small Scottish fishing village in 1900 Dorothy lives mourning the death of Moses, the young son she lost years earlier to the sea whose body was never found. She had come to Skerry as a young woman to be the village teacher and never felt truly accepted by the townspeople. She and local fisherman Joseph fell in love but their relationship wouldn't survive the loss of Moses; in fact many in town still suspect that Joseph had something to do with Moses' death. Now in the midst of a terrible winter storm a young boy washes ashore and is found by Joseph, who rushes him to the local minister and his wife to keep him alive. This boy bears a strong resemblance to Moses and is of a similar age to him when he drowned, and although he clearly can't be Moses Dorothy feels compulsively drawn to him. His arrival will prove to be the catalyst both for Dorothy to come to terms with her grief and loss as well as for the revelation of other village secrets; can it bring healing to those who so desperately need it? And who is this boy, who seems to Dorothy to be a gift from the sea?
With its rugged and isolated setting in an insular community rife (as such places generally are) with gossip, The Fisherman's Gift is a haunting work of historical fiction. Dorothy and Joseph are vividly portrayed, two people connected by a deep love yet driven apart by a tragedy from which they have yet to recover, as are the different villagers with whose lives theirs' are intertwined...Mrs Brown, the shopkeeper who knows just about everything about just about everyone, Agnes who is love with Joseph though his heart already belongs to another, and others. The story unfolds in chapters that travel between the present and the past, and between differing characters' perspectives, but is tied together by themes of grief, loss, and love. It is not unremittingly sad, though, as hope glimmers when it is most needed. The raging winter weather will eventually be tempered come the spring, and the emotional storms being weathered by the people of Skerry will similarly have a chance at yielding to calm. This is a story told with beautiful language, striking imagery, and characters who strike a chord of authenticity with the reader. Its pace isn't quick and the pain it portrays is raw, but it is the sort of story that stays with the reader long after the final page has been turned. Those who enjoy the works of Howard Norman, Hannah Kent and Christina Baker Kline should make this a must-read this spring, as should fans of beautifully rendered historical fiction. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me early access to this poignant tale in exchange for my honest review.

This debut has my heart.

For those who ever wonder "what if" or "if I am an good enough mother" this one is for you. What captivated me originally about this book was the setting (Scotland) and also that it was likened to "The Snow Child" and "The Light Between Oceans" (both of those wrecked me by the way...). I knew this was easily going to be a 5 star read and boy, did Kelly deliver!

The story is about Dorothy, a recently hired school teacher at a small Scottish seaside community. New to everyone, Dorothy navigated complicated relationships and expectations within the community, including Joseph who has been made clear by some of the women in the town, Dorothy is not meant to court. Jumping to the future, Dorothy still deals with grief over the loss of her child, who became lost at sea years ago. All of that changes when a mysterious boy (who doesn't speak) washes up on the shore looking like her lost child. Dorothy and Joseph navigate the unspoken sea of things unsaid between them while trying to get the boy back to his family. Dorothy has been haunted by her lost son's death and the questions of "was it my fault" is a big theme here. The female relationships in this book were so well developed too.

It is told in multiple POV and switches timelines between "then" and "now". I really loved how the mystery becomes unraveled and the writing was simply beautiful. The last 20% was so good and it had me in tears (the chapter on Moses! Gah! My heart!).

I found the relationship between Dorothy and Joseph SO good and it really made me want to move away to a small seaside town in the British Isles. If Julia R. Kelly writes it, I will read it!

Content: some open door scenes (related to marriage, etc.)

The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia R. Kelley is story about the journey of a mother’s grief and guilt.

The setting is a small Scottish fishing village in 1900. Dorothy is the new school mistress in a little fishing town Skelly. The town is full of gossips and she isn’t welcomed into their little community. She meets Joseph who is a fisherman and they briefly fall in love. Life pulls them apart before they even have a chance to live out their love story.

During a storm, a young boy washes up on the shore. The child bears an uncanny resemblance to the teacher Dorothy's son, who was lost to the sea at the same age, many years prior--his body never found, Dorothy, a loner, not particularly liked by the villagers, agrees to the minister's request to look after the child until his parents are found. Through watching and caring for him her past and the guilt and grief she has tried to bury surfaces. She has to face the pain and hurt that has been shoved down inside her all these years. She has to confront people and herself through this journey. She finds healing and closure through helping this little boy.

The chapters are told through the various characters--in particular Dorothy, Joseph, and Agnes, and locations in the village [e.g., the shop around which much village life revolves], the Manse where the minister and his wife live and the waterfront.

Hope, love, loss, sadness and heartbreak. There are many secrets and much gossip in this small village. My only complaint was following the timeline and what happened in which order.

I would like to thank the author, Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster & Julia R. Kelly for this ARC! 💙

🏴‍☠️ Scotland may just be my new favorite setting—there’s something about its rugged beauty, remote villages, and haunting history that makes for incredible storytelling. The Fisherman’s Gift takes place in an isolated Scottish fishing village in the 1900s, unraveling the mysteries and heartbreak that follow after a small boy washes up on shore. 🌊

📖 What stood out?
In the foreword, Kelly shares that this book explores maternal shame—and wow, does that theme resonate on every page. As a mother, this story struck me deeply. 💔 It’s not just about women, but also about forgiveness, grief, and resilience. The themes of loss, infidelity, and hidden pain aren’t easy, yet Kelly’s masterful storytelling makes this an unforgettable read.

🔥 What to Expect:
✔️ Small-town secrets 🤫
✔️ Multi-POV storytelling 👀
✔️ Dual timelines ⏳
✔️ Flawed, complex characters 😢

📖 How was the pacing?
Short chapters + dual timelines + multiple POVs = a fast-paced, immersive read. 📖

⭐ Final Thoughts
This book is beautifully written and dripping with sadness—yet every word feels purposeful. The miscommunication, the misunderstandings, the raw emotion—all of it creates depth and authenticity in every character’s arc. What a stunning, powerful debut from Julia R. Kelly.

So many secrets, so many lies. The Fisherman's Gift by Julia R. Kelly is a gut-wrenching, heart-rending story about how the course of people's lives were changed by all the secrets and lies. And how secrets have a way of coming to light.

Releases Mar. 18th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Premise is great, but feels very unfocused. I don’t care about Joseph and Dorothy and Agnes, and before I am given a reason to, the book moves on.