The Hollow Sea cover art

The Hollow Sea

The unforgettable and mesmerising debut inspired by mythology

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The Hollow Sea

By: Annie Kirby
Narrated by: Fran Burgoyne
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About this listen

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

 Family Life Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Motherhood Parenting & Families Relationships Sea Adventures Magic Adventure Witchcraft

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Critic reviews

A bold, magical story about the letting go of long-held hope and building a different future (Jo Browning Wroe, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Terrible Kindness)
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 (Rosie Andrews, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Leviathan)
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 (Kate Sawyer, Costa-shortlised author of The Stranding)
A beautifully written, heart-rending atmospheric novel of finding what makes one whole (Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring)
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 (Polly Crosby, author of The Illustrated Child)
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. (Emma Sweeney, author of Owl Song at Dawn)
A thoughtful, beautiful gem of a story and I loved it (Rebecca F. John, Costa-shortlisted author of The Haunting of Henry Twist)
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 (Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl)
A poetic tale
All stars
Most relevant
This fabulous narrater done a great job of telling this beautiful and heart felt story interlaced magically with mythical tales. The story kept me captivated throughout. It pulled me in and took me on the journey and left me wanted more. I can not wait for the next book by this author.

Beautiful story and fantastic narrator

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I was enchanted by this compelling tale which touched on so many issues and was brought expertly to life by the narrator.

Such a beautiful story.

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This was unlike any book I've ever listened to. It was recommended by a friend and isn't the sort of genre I normally listen to but I absolutely loved all the twists and turns, how it looked at events from several different perspectives, and the whole feel of the story. Beautifully read, too. Weird, but definitely wonderful.

Very different and wonderfully compelling.

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