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

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.

Content Warnings

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.

Content Warnings

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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