This is a story in layers- on the surface its a simple story about a baby boy found on the beach who is adopted into a family and how that impacts their lives. Wovern thougout is the life of small town Irish fishermen and the stuggles of the working class people. This story could feel rather tedious, without much emotional attachment asked for from the reader.

However, If we dig a bit deeper we hear the story of the family as told by a neighbor with a flys-eye view of what goes on in the home and a small town. The courtship of Christine and Ambrose and their upbringing, the need to belong and the feelings of jealousy between two brothers. the loneliness of a midlife woman trapped into caring for her elderly abusive father. We get to watch but still always a bit distant. We see how their circumstances change their behavior it by bit but aren’t forced to examine it much deeper.

The final layer is the “ why” and the what if- we get clues in the telling but as the reader we have to work at understanding the characters and thinking about what was said, as well as what wasn’t said. We question the “why” in their behavior, pulling together their history and circumstances to understand them. Each of them is interesting in their own right. Lots to unpack in their story and I found it fascinating.
Recommend

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A beautifully crafted novel that captures a small Irish fishing village's rugged beauty and quiet desperation. When baby Brendan is found on the beach and taken in by the Bonnar family, his presence irrevocably alters the course of their lives. The novel masterfully explores the intricate bonds of family—both by blood and by place—against the backdrop of an ever-changing world.

The characters are richly drawn, particularly Ambrose, a fisherman torn between protecting his children and keeping his family afloat amid the harsh demands of commercial fishing. The tension between Brendan and Declan, who grow up as brothers but remain fundamentally at odds, adds emotional weight to the story. Brendan’s enigmatic origins and magnetic yet unsettling presence create a lingering sense of mystery that drives the narrative forward.

The author’s prose is lyrical and atmospheric, capturing the raw beauty of the sea and the quiet heartbreak of a village struggling against economic forces beyond its control. The town itself becomes a character—weathered, resilient, and deeply connected to the fates of the families within it.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Killybegs is a typical Irish fishing town in Donegal. A gentle, close knit, gossipy sort of place, where everyone knows everyone else’s business. When a baby, just days old, washes ashore in a barrel on the stony beach everyone is convinced it is a miracle. That is until it isn’t and the locals start to lose a bit of interest. But not Ambrose Bonnar, fisherman and general mr nice guy. He takes it upon himself to offer the baby a home for the night, that turns into two, that ends up with the baby being adopted and called Brendan by Ambrose and his wife Christine, much to the dismay of Christine’s sister Phyllis and elderly father Eunan. Plus, their natural son Declan isn’t too happy either.

This story is narrated by the ‘village’ and follows the Bonnars through their trials and tribulations over the years, from Ambrose and Christine’s first meeting, up to the boys being adults and on their way.

Beautifully told and atmospheric, Irish storytelling at its best.

At times the narrative was slow, but as with all good stories we get there in the end, though on first reading I thought the ending was a little flat. But then I read again and understood, less is often more. A book to take your time with.

A charming story, well told.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor.

“The Boy from the Sea” is Garrett Carr's debut novel, and it is filled with a lot of heart. In a small Irish village in the 1970s, a family's life was changed when Ambrose came upon an abandoned baby on the beach, who was later christened Brendan upon his adoption.

Set in the close-knit fishing community, the mysterious circumstances of the boy get the whole town literally talking as they narrate Brendan’s life throughout two decades in a Greek-like chorus throughout the novel. The bird's-eye view from the villagers’ narration gives us glimpses into the family’s life, which rises up and down with the sea that could make or break a family’s fortune.

This novel is a family drama at heart, and it’s one that I was charmed by because of Carr’s ability to make us feel for the family members in this tale. The daily struggles of Ambrose as the head of the family and how his wife and son dealt with the arrival of another mouth to feed formed the crux of the dynamics in this novel, and ‘the boy from the sea’ himself is an enigmatic and solitary figure, set apart from the family and villagers alike by the circumstances. I also loved how the sea played such a major role in the book in how it foreshadows Ambrose and his family's mood and fortune.

Witty and poignant, I enjoyed taking my time with this debut from an author I’d be interested in reading more from. “The Boy from the Sea” is perfect for fans of character-driven novels; it will be published on 13 May 2025.

**Features:**
- Set in a small Irish fishing village in the 1970s - 1980s
- Character focused tale about family, community, and change
- A touch of magical realism

**Synopsis:**

The people of Donegal were never ones for mysticism and magical fancies until the baby seemingly floated in from the sea. Nobody in their small, close knit community knew where the boy came from and speculation spread like wildfire. Undeterred by all of the speculation, fisherman Ambrose Bonnar adopted the baby, naming him Brendan. But as the mysticism around Brendan continues to grow, it only fuels the anger of his adopted grandfather and aunt and the jealousy of his adopted brother, Declan. However, in a town facing hardships and an unknown future, Brendan might be the spark of hope they need.

**Thoughts:**

There was definitely something magical about this snapshot of life in this small Irish fishing village. Narrated by the ‘village’ itself, this story takes on a similar quality to Unlikely Animals where we ‘watch’ certain moments unfolding from the outside without the ability to see too deeply into any one character’s thoughts. On occasion, the narrator provides insight into how the community views or responds to these events, which makes the collective as much a character as any individual member. For me, one of the most fascinating points was seeing how this community of people who are removed from the superstitions and faerie lore Ireland is known for starts to see ‘magic’ (for lack of a better word) in the world again through the unusual introduction of Brendan. As a reader, we rarely get a close look at Brendan or what he might be thinking and so find yourself similarly drawn to his mystique.

This story spans two decades and moves at a slower pace and focuses on character relationships and the community. The beautiful, atmospheric writing makes it a pleasure to linger even if I found myself wishing that some elements would progress in more significant ways. Though the tension between Brendan, Declan, and the rest of the Bonnar family as they face hardship is compelling, there is no clear resolution the story is working towards. If you are a reader who needs a strong central plot to move you through a story, I would maybe avoid this one. Overall, I thought this was a beautiful, well realized story that will definitely stick with me for a long time.

I have always loved a story that takes place in Ireland. Both my grandmothers were originally from County Mayo and they had a wonderful brogue that I loved to listening to. The boy from the sea is full of Irish sayings and superstitions that I got to experience first hand. This lovely story centers around Brendan, who as a newborn baby who was found cradled in a half barrel by the shore. The town assumed he was washed ashore and he was considered to be a special child. The story begins in 1973. The Bonnars family adopted Brendan and they are the main characters in this story. The narrator is actually an unnamed citizen from this tight-knit community where gossip is high and everyone known everyone else’s business. This is a lovely story of a family dealing with the financial hardships of a small fishing business, sibling rivalry between Brendan and his brother Declan, and trying to do the best that they can for their family.

With such stunning writing and vivid seascape imagery, this one flowed well. I adore seaside towns where the ocean is a huge part of life. This packs an even bigger punch because of a baby boy found abandoned in the beach.

Ambrose adopts this boy, feeling an incredible pull to him. His arrival is a sensation in town and he settles in to his new family well enough. Ambrose never knew how much his life would change, how much the lives of his family members will change because of this one decision.

I found the dynamics between characters to be quite interesting. I liked to see the multiple narratives we see. This was a subtle, yet emotionally charged read.

this was good! exactly what i expected of this book, every character i liked, i was captivated by the plot pretty quickly, the prose was wonderful and kept me wanting to read more. i think this is a stunning book, and the authors ability to capture a variety of personalities and explain relationships so well is amazing

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf for sharing an early copy with me!

I was instantly eager to read this book because it’s set in Ireland, my favorite book location. Brenden is the boy from the sea, adapted Ambrose and Christine and their son Declan. The book is so much more than Brenden. It’s about the family, the extended family, the town and the culture.

Carr’s dreamy writing and collective “we” perspective made for a terrific read. I loved the setting of the book and of course always enjoy books about complicated family relationships.

My only notes on the book would be sometimes it felt a bit slow and I also wasn’t sure if I felt the brothers’ relationship had a strong enough turning point to make me feel satisfied at the end.

Residents of an Irish Village receives a gift in the shape of a boy who touches every life he encounters.
It's a story well crafted of mystery and hope.
Magical Realism brings a tight knit Community even tighter.

Many thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for this ARC of 'The Boy from the Sea' by Garrett Carr.

This is a wonderful novel set in coastal Donegal, Ireland from the mid-1960s through the mid/late-1980s. Having lived in a similar small town (though not coastal) during the same period I can attest to the accuracy of the descriptions of people, place, and mood.

A baby washes up from the sea in a halved, blue plastic, industrial barrel and changes the trajectory of the family that adopts him. You get the feeling very early on that this could drift into magical realism or the supernatural but it doesn't - it remains firmly rooted in the realm of the real. We follow the intense and convoluted relationships within a small Irish town, pre mass media and mass communication, where everyone knows everyone's seed, breed, and generation and anyone from more than five miles away is a blow-in.

The main characters are the Bonnars, their in-laws the Lyons, a couple of close work colleagues of lifelong trawler fisherman Ambrose, and then there's the character of the village which is wrapped up - in this novel - in a single voice, a single consciousness which relates the villagers' reaction to events and describes the passing of the years through weather events, small accidents, and local deaths. This village is very much affected by international affairs, we know they're tangentially concerned with the existential threat of nuclear war but the arrival of Ireland's membership of the EEC in 1973 is the pivotal event here, money pours in for vessels but the waters are no longer Ireland's alone so the stakes get higher and the downsides greater.

The core relationships in the novel concern those or Brendan, the boy from the sea. His relationship with each of his parents, his wider family, the town as a character, and the individuals within the town, but most especially with his brother Declan who, from the second he met him as a two-year-old, deeply resents Brendan's presence in the family and his place in his father's affections. We follow the evolution of this relationship right through to the end of the novel and it's highly believable.

This is a very funny book and I think it especially helps if you're Irish and/or have lived through those times. Carr consistently lobs in little comments that had me smiling and laughing. On the flip side it's very emotional and sad - I was on edge throughout waiting for the hammer or tragedy to fall. It fell but not in the way I'd have expected.

If you're looking for comparisons I would say it you could liken it to Clare Keegan - but without that quiet viciousness that Keegan injects - or maybe Donal Ryan whose novels are set around the time this book ends but who captures those small town Irish people and attitudes very well. Further back, the quietness and wryness brought to mind William Trevor's novels set in mid-century Ireland places and attitudes. Finally, though reaching nowhere near the excess of madness McCabe gets to, I see elements of Pat McCabe in the characters and situations that arise throughout this novel with one passage especially where Declan and his aunt Phyllis head off into the wilds of the Donegal/Derry border on a quest.

Congratulations to Garrett Carr and Knopf - I hope this is a bestseller.

“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!!!