“Parents knew you can never tell how a child will turn out, naturally yours or not. They had learned, fundamentally, every child comes in from the sea, washes up against the ankles of their parents, arms outstretched, ready to be shaped by them but with some disposition already in place, deep-set and never quite knowable.”


At first, I suspected The Boy from the Sea would be a sort of fable. A baby boy is found floating in a barrel near the shoreline of a small fishing village – Donegal, Ireland -- in 1973. The discovery sets the town abuzz with excitement and mystical theories about the nature of his appearance spread like wildfire.

But Garrett Carr quickly dispels the reader from going down that road. It appears that an itinerant woman was seen in a shanty part of town, and she likely birthed and left the baby where he would be easily discovered. Before too long, a local fisherman, Ambrose, and his wife, Christine – parents of a two-year-old boy named Declan – file for adoption and name him Brendan.

Declan is never enamoured of the interloper (his first word when the baby is brought home is, “Why?”) Declan is of the shore, and Brendan is of the sea, and Declan comes to resent how Brendan leverages his mysterious origin story to listen to and bless people of the town. He is determined to not acknowledge this strange child as a family member.

The book, which is narrated in the “we” tense, underscores the insularity of Donegal and leverages some of the themes that make contemporary Irish literature (to my mind) the best there is. Two recent books that leap to mind are The Coast and The Colony, which also leverage the themes of home and identity, love and relationships, regrets and reconciliations, and the ephemeral nature of fate and fortune.

The Boy from the Sea beautifully captures sibling relationships (not only Declan and Brendan, but also their mother Christine with her older sister who stays behind to care for their aging and recalcitrant father). The uncertain and changing life of the fishermen, who place themselves at risk as they deal with fishing quotas, new upgrades, and financial matters, is explored with knowledge and skill.

Any reader who loves charming Irish stories, relayed with a touch of humor, and drilling deep into the intricacies of a small town that means well and doesn’t always succeed, will love this book. My thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for enabling me to be an early reader in exchange for an honest review.

The Boy from the Sea is a beautifully crafted story, narrated through the perspectives of the residents of an Irish village. It feels as though an observer from above is watching over Brendan and the people whose lives he touches, often zooming in on intimate scenes and dialogues. As a reader, you experience the emotions of all the main characters—almost except Brendan’s. This narrative choice gives Brendan, the boy found by the sea as a newborn, an otherworldly quality. His quietness only deepens the story’s mystique.

The novel flows like the gentle waves of the sea, spanning two decades without ever speeding up. It maintains a deliberately slow pace, requiring readers to surrender to its lyrical prose and unique narrative style. Although I found the pacing a bit too slow at times, I was captivated by Brendan’s newfound family: Ambrose, with his soft spot for the boy from the sea; Declan, who was jealous of the boy he didn’t want to call his brother; and Christine, who tried to hold everything together. The Irish setting added another layer of depth to the story.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

this was a pretty good book! I liked the themes of family, abandonment, relationships, love, and growth. Overall this book was well written, and it kept me entertained while reading

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!