A review by unhallowed_eve
The Blue Salt Road by Joanne M. Harris

emotional reflective sad

3.5

Beautiful writing and imagery. I loved this book up until the ending, which felt unsatisfying. I don't think I have an issue with the events at the end, but the way these are portrayed. It feels like the author wants to portray all major characters with sympathy and to tell a story that incorporates forgiveness. To me, the end feels much more tragic than I think was perhaps intended.

The selkie remembers his past after touching his ruined sealskin, but he can never return to the ocean. He remembers the passion and love he felt for Flora, and he wonders if he could love her again. The last sentences are written as though there is hope for reconciliation after such a betrayal, but what other choice does the selkie have? He cannot return to the sea. To leave Flora and the village would be to abandon his daughter. His entire identity has been stolen from him, and he has nothing, so he stays with the woman who shows no compassion for him. We know that Flora lives in a time when women did not have the rights of men, and Flora's limited options in life are described a couple of times; but this theme is not explored nearly enough to balance the selkie's suffering. The only character with a hopeful future is the selkie's and Flora's daughter.