Jean Gill's Reviews > Selkie Dreams

Hauntingly beautiful, a book that takes you into 19th century Alaska from the viewpoint of a reluctant young Irish missionary, who cannot accept the colonial view of the native Americans she is supposed to teach, convert and of course patronise. When Maire throws off her corsets, she is abandoning more than physical constraints, showing once again the rebellious nature that Cook told her had come from her selkie mother. Maire’s search for her mother is a thread throughout the story and her selkie dreams mingle with the new-found legends of the Tlingit people, in a mythical world that co-exists with everyday eating and working. Sensuality and myth are opposed by puritan religion and racism, leaving us in no doubt that the only chance of romance lies with the Tlingits, or rather one particular americanised Tlingit, Natsilane, whose passionate commitment to his own society’s beliefs is at odds with his growing feelings for Maire. A classic cross-cultural love affair, where both culture expect arranged marriages, within their own societies and of their own social class.

The author’s touch is so light that the reader doesn’t think about the period at all; you live it. Every detail brings the story and the characters to life, always leaving room for the imagination to read into what’s not said as well as what is. The story-telling is as assured as the period knowledge and makes ‘Selkie Dreams’ live in your mind long after you’ve put the book down.