Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - A Sweet Sting of Salt

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

21 reviews

marym2215's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

In the midst of a howling storm, Jean, a solitary midwife, is awoken by a piercing cry that she could have sworn came from her dreams. But when the cries persist, she is compelled to brave the cold and discovers a young woman in labor at the edge of the water by her house. Muirin is soaked, scared, and can barely communicate with Jean. With no idea who the woman actually is, Jean suspects she might be the mysterious new bride of her neighbor up the hill, Tobias. Jean, typically resolved to keep out of others’ affairs, finds herself increasingly drawn into the lives of Muirin and Tobias, driven both by concern and a deepening affection for Muirin. As her involvement deepens, she uncovers disturbing secrets that pose dire risks to herself, Muirin, and the newborn. Faced with harrowing truths, Jean must navigate her treacherous emotional and ethical situations to save herself and the lives of those she has come to hold dear. This gripping tale weaves tension and emotion into a compelling narrative that explores the meaning of human connection and love.

I absolutely loved this book. This captivating debut seamlessly blended folklore, fantasy, and a tender love story centered around selkies, something I knew nothing about going into the book. Set against the windswept shores of Nova Scotia, the atmospheric backdrop enhanced the story’s mystery, romance, and gothic allure. I just wanted to be there with them! The palpable angst and deeply tender romance between Muirin and Jean had me swooning throughout the majority of the book. It was so easy to root for them as their characters leapt off the page, especially Jean’s strong will, drive, and resilience. While the pacing was a bit slower than my normal read, I was still swept away by the story, setting, and character development. I also really loved the author’s note at the end of the book. Whether you know anything about selkie folklore or not, I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to read a love story amidst a backdrop of mystery and gothic vibes. I am definitely looking forward to Sutherland’s future novels!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC of A Sweet Sting of Salt in return for my honest review.

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maiiau's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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doomham's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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sproutedpages's review

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A Sweet Sting of Salt is a work of queer historical fiction set in coastal Nova Scotia in the 1830’s, and retells the Scottish folktale, “The Selkie Wife,” as well as Selkie folklore more generally. While this does mean that one of the greatest mysteries at the heart of the novel is known to readers familiar with the folklore, it is not known to the protagonist Jean, a midwife, who wakes late in the night to find her neighbor’s new wife, Muirín, distraught and in labor at the edge of the salt marshes on her property.

Sutherland’s writing in A Sweet Sting of Salt is atmospheric and evocative, with a thematic emphasis on longing (from the topics for discussion at the end: longing for the sea, longing for home, longing for family, longing for a place to belong). Though initially slow in pace, there is a foreboding undercurrent to the narrative that helps to keep the novel engaging.

Jean and Muirín are both characterized quite well (as are the secondary and tertiary characters), which makes it easy to empathize with their individual choices, and to yearn for their pairing alongside them. However, Jean’s reaction to the moment of reveal did feel somewhat out-of-character, and at odds with what would be expected for a member of a seemingly superstitious fishing village (particularly given that Jean mentions knowledge of Selkie folklore). Even so, A Sweet Sting of Salt has a cathartic resolution (especially for Muirín) and a very sweet epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House/Dell, and author Rose Sutherland for providing me with an advanced digital copy of A Sweet Sing of Salt to review. All opinions within this review are voluntarily given and entirely my own.

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kaitie_reads's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Happy Publication Day!

This one deserves all of the stars.
This book was absolutely gorgeous. Rooted in Scottish folklore and based on the tale of "The Selkie Wife" this debut was absolutely mesmerizing. There is beautiful scene setting, page-turning suspense, amazing romantic tension, wonderful dialogue and also lgbtq representation contained within the pages of this sapphic love story and folklore retelling.

Part historical fiction, part fantasy romance, the story follows Jean, a midwife who has worked hard to reinstate her value to the community after being slandered for her choices in love. Afraid of making connections in her community, everything changes when she comes upon a laboring mother in need on a stormy night. Sensing that there is something dubious occurring, she forms a friendship with the woman and takes her under her wing.

If you love historical fiction with a little bit of a fairytale story included, I'd highly recommend this book. I loved the coastal vibe and Nova Scotia setting. The descriptive scenes and Jean's relationship with her natural setting is beautiful. I also love how the author reflects on nature and ties what's happening in the natural world into the occurences in our protagonist's story.

I always rate a book highly if it invokes an emotional response, and this story absolutely does.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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caseythereader's review

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emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kimwritesstuff's review

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really liked this book. I thought it was a sweet, slow-burn sapphic love story, and none of the queer characters die! The one thing I don't like is that, because of the blurb and synopsis, as the reader, you know the story has selkies in it, but any magical realism isn't until the last bit of the book. I felt like the overall novel could have benefited from Jean understanding there was a bigger picture. I also felt like Jean was a little oblivious in general, but I quite enjoyed that. She was a little cinnamon roll that just wanted to protect people.

Jean meets Muirin while Muirin is in labor outside in a storm. Muirin basically ends up on Jean's doorstep while fleeing. After Jean helps her deliver a healthy son, Jean can sense something isn't right, but can't get answers to her questions because Muirin doesn't speak English. When Muirin's husband, Tobias, shows up, Jean doubles down and insists Muirin stay with her while recovering from birth. Tobias relents, only wanting what's best for his son and his wife. Over the course of a week, Jean watches Muirin blossom into motherhood and helps her learn English.

When Tobias comes to get Muirin and their son, Muirin closes up. Jean realizes Tobias is what's wrong in the picture. From there, a beautiful gothic love story unfolds. The author did her research and included some historical events and included indigenous people in the story. I love when authors take care with their characters and history. This story is just so full of detail, I felt the longing and I felt the isolation.

This was a good story built on longing and the power of women; there could have been more awareness in the main character and a quicker reveal of magical elements. Overall, a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Dell Books.

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chaos_carrie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this queer retelling of the selkie wife. The first 50% or so of the book was a bit slow for my preferences, but once things got exciting, they stayed that way. I appreciate the attention to the dynamics both together and separately throughout the story of different characters being queer, woman, and/or people of color. The lore of the story was well balanced with some of the less savory history of coastal towns in the early 1800s.

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itsapaxycab's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book was given as an ARC from NetGalley
This was a beautiful book. I love any historical fiction book with queer people at the forefront, and learning about the different ways people might have navigated those difficulties. The story was lovely, and the ending warmed my heart.

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alreads13's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this queer folktale retelling! The story follows Jean, the town midwife, after a strange encounter with a pregnant woman in the night. She is drawn to this mysterious woman, Muirin, especially after seeing how she shrinks from her new husband, Tobias. Sensing something is wrong, she stops at nothing to help Muirin, and discovers something otherworldly in the process.

The word that comes to mind when I think of this book is “quaint”, in the best way possible. We follow Jean during her day to day life, tending to her patients, working on her farm and walking around her bucolic town. The setting really comes alive in this story and it’s a beautiful world to spend time in.

While the pace of this book is slow to medium, the tense action scenes were really gripping and I couldn’t stop reading. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until certain parts were over and I couldn’t put it down until I knew what happened.

Also queer representation! Some passages were brimming with queer joy and queer people just living their lives. Thankful for it in this book.

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