I loved the first half of this family saga but as the boys grew up my interest grew less. There was an awful lot about fishing which whilst I was at first interested in soon was simply too much to keep me bothered.
I’m not sure why it went wrong for me but lack of character development and over long over complicated passages didn’t help.

My reading has featured quite a lot from Ireland lately and I am finding it a refreshing change. The Boy from the Sea has proven to be the cherry on top in its cosy, relaxed, quintessentially Irish way. In this charmer we follow Ambrose and Christine Bonnar as they adopt a baby that has been found on the beach at Donegal, circa 1973. A good Christian thing to do, to be sure, but not all agree. Declan, their young son, is not keen to share his parents, home or even bedroom with this new interloper and is free and easy with his disgruntled opposition.

Brendan, the boy from the sea, causes no end of fascination for the locals and this wonderful tale is narrated by an omnipotent, unnamed villager who is the voice box for the community wisdom. I'm not Irish but I have been and love the country and its people. There's a sensible pragmatism that belies Irish logic, understated yet forceful at the same time. This novel is oozing with it, making it the delight I so enjoyed.

The characters are sublime. The interactions, especially when things get a bit fractious, are realistic and the narrative analysis of events is simply spot on. I was charmed from page one and enjoyed my time with the Bonnar family, most particularly Phyllis, Christine's sister. She didn't fly the nest of the childhood home, like Christine did, and instead stayed home to care from their elderly father. Her personality and way of thinking is skewed by her choices and her possible jealousy of Christine and her perceived freedoms. Like Declan, she also believes there's no room for Brendan in the family equation but will that belief ever shift?

This is simply a joyous family drama. Full of good and bad times, difficulties, love – spoken and unspoken. A gem of a novel that touched my heart. Rich in the beauty of Ireland, this novel will transport the reader to a lovely, hard working fishing village in a bygone time as this family adapts to the curveball life throws their way. Simply marvellous.

There is so much to admire in this novel, as is so often the case with Irish literature. There is a wonderful cast of characters and we watch them as their relationships develop over time. The relationship between Christine and Phyllis is especially interesting, their estrangement, the tension in their interactions, but both reaching an understanding of the other. There is tension too between Declan and Brendan borne out of jealousy and the unexplained appearance of the younger boy in the family, whose strangeness is enigmatic and cannot be explained since his background is completely unknown,

I love the setting of a small fishing village, brought to life in so many small details, acutely observed. In this place everybody is watching everybody else, and there is the effective use of the narrator being the people of the village, rather than a single voice. It conveys the expectations of how people should behave, but is never overly judgmental.

At several times in the narrative there are potentially dangerous moments, in particular the boat far out to sea without power in a storm, but the expectation of disaster is never fulfilled, so when disaster does strike suddenly and horrifically it is more shocking, and its repercussions make for difficult reading.

I loved the story and the writing style, always clear and concise. I will be looking out for more books by this author.

In 1973, a baby boy is found abandoned on the beach of the little Donegal fishing town of Killybegs. At first, the town is in wonder at this gift from the sea and pass him around from family to family to enjoy, but soon the novelty wears off and he is eventually adopted by a fisherman called Ambrose Bonnar who names him Brendan. He and his wife Christine already have a two year old son, Declan who, as he grows older, feels sidelined and decides he will never accept Brendan as his ‘brother’ or part of the family. Christine’s sister Phyllis who has remained unmarried to care for their cantankerous elderly father also does not agree with the arrangement and this creates a chasm in the sisters’ relationship.

This engrossing and charming tale is told in the first person plural, from the collective point of view of the community who watch and gossip about what is going on in their small town. Told with gentle Irish humour and a fondness for his characters, Garrett Carr’s debut adult fiction novel is beautifully written and full of characters who emerge fully formed from the page. The small coastal town is so vividly depicted that it’s not hard to imagine the calls of the seagulls and salty smell of the sea as the waves pound the coast.

Brendan grows into a strange little boy. Shunned by his brother, who he initially follows and tries to please, he has few friends and eventually takes to wandering the areas surrounding the village. He visits lonely people and as he gets older, bestowing blessings on them which they believe are healing, especially given by the boy from the sea. Meanwhile, Ambrose and the other small fishermen are finding it harder and harder to make a living with EU fishing quotas and the arrival of larger and larger boats from Europe to fish in the Atlantic.

This gentle Irish tale of family and community will pull you in to the highs and lows of relationships and events in a small town that is struggling to adapt to a changing world. Just lovely!

I'm afraid I found this rather tedious and stodgy. It was less about the 'boy from the sea' (baby abandoned on a beach, then taken in by husband and wife, Ambrose and Christine, and son Declan) and more about the hardships of the fishing industry: something I'm perfectly aware of but didn't particularly want to read about.

The characters are rather wooden and one-dimensional. I felt nothing for any of them. There are long, long, rambling passages without a paragraph break or dialogue, all the harder to read because of a distinct lack of correct punctuation. The 'narrator' was unusually, 'we', i.e., the residents of the community, where the story is set.

The ending was inconclusive and left me with questions. I always finish a book, no matter what, but this was very hard-going.

This is the captivating tale of a foundling discovered in a fishing barrel on a beach, and the impact this has on an Irish fishing community. Starting in 1973 and spanning the next twenty years, the story tells how the baby is adopted by Ambrose and Christine who already have a young child called Declan. Declan refuses to accept Brendan as his brother, however to the townsfolk, Brendan becomes something of an enigma.

This tale is so much more than just an account of Brendan's life. Narrated by a villager whose identity is never revealed, there is gentle humour, authentic writing about the hardships faced by the fishermen as they battle with life at sea and EU fishing quotas, as well as the intense rivalry between Declan and Brendan. The narrative around caring for a domineering, aging relative and the impact this has on Christine's relationship with her sister is so well written. The storyline takes the reader in some unexpected directions, some sorrowful and others upbeat. Beautifully detailed writing, I could smell the sea and the fish, hear the waves crashing on the shore, feel the gales and sea water lashing on the deck.

A brilliant debut novel, I look forward to future novels by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my advance reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.

The Boy From the Sea
By Garrett Carr

Killybegs is the largest fishing port in Ireland. It's sound are the sea, the clanging of iron against steel, the constant screech of seagulls. The smells are diesel and brine and mackerel and herring. The people live their lives to the rhythm of the sea and almost everyone is involved in the fishing industry. They are hard working, in daily battle against the sea to eke out an existence, men climbing aboard trawlers, risking life and limb, women waving them off, not quite sure if they'll ever see them again.

Into this appears a baby, washed up onto the shore, like Moses in his basket. They can only guess, but nobody really knows where this baby came from, but one thing's for sure, he needs a family.

This story kept bringing me back to another foundling story I read recently, "The Time of the Child" by Niall Williams, and in common, they both focus more on the community the child is thrust into than the boy himself. I love the relationships in this story, and the themes it explores, family dynamics, the caring of elderly parents and how that can cause rifts between siblings, martial resentments, grief and unfulfilled potential.

What makes this story stand out for me are the insights into the fishing industry and the communities that serve it. How fishing in Ireland has been decimated because it has been offered up in sacrifice in order to gain grants and revenue in other areas of the country and the economy from Europe, making the small family business a redundant concept. It makes me sad to realise the shame I feel that the honour of fishing, of caring for the sea and the sealife that was under the custodianship of all those generations who went before, is overrun by the Russian and Spanish supertrawlers who come in and clear out the seabed, regardless of sustainability or environment consequences.

There aren't many other industries here anymore that are so fundamentally a matter of life and death. This story has turned a lens on a livelihood I had never thought so much about before and told with such awareness of human nature.

Publication date: 6th February 2025
Thanks to Picador for gifting this ARC in return for an honest review.

Beautifully tender and filled with real characters, this was a great book exploring the life of a fishing village in Donegal through one family in particular. The humour and warmth made this book stand out for me – the villagers are used perfectly to narrate the book through personal family issues and local problems facing them all. I really enjoyed Garrett’s writing, and I look forward to reading more from him.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Garrett Carr grew up on the north-west coast of Ireland, in the small fishing town of Killybegs in Donegal and it is here he has decided to set his debut novel. He has already had YA and non-fiction works published and now lives in Belfast where he is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Queens University. This had for me the feel of a Donal Ryan novel and it is every bit as good as Ryan at his best.

In 1973 a baby is found in a barrel on the beach. The locals become temporarily spellbound by the magic of such a situation and many families want to look after him. He ends up as a member of the Bonnar family, named Brendan by his fisherman adopted father, Ambrose, wife Christine and not exactly welcomed by two year old son Declan. This is the tale of this family over approximately the next twenty years.

It's a family tale with vivid characterisation of the Bonnars and Christine’s sister and father, Phyllis and Eunan Lyons, who live up the lane but why it really works is the narrative style which can best be described as a chorus of the townfolk, a third-person narrative referring to themselves as “we”. We don’t find out who it is specifically but it doesn’t matter as everyone knows everyone’s business anyway so we are not missing out on anything. This seems a risky move but it works sublimely. The only occasion I can remember going overboard with this narrative style is the chorus of Truman Capote’s women friends in “Swan Song” by Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott which was my favourite book Of The Year of 2019.

The narrative is full of warmth and humour, they are not afraid to poke fun at themselves and their ways or at those who live in other parts of Ireland. The view of Brendan, as the boy who came from the sea, becomes enriched by this narrative perspective which also gives a real sense of community. There’s always going to be something different about him and he offers a sense of mystery rarely present in these lives.

I thought this was an extremely strong novel. The fishing element also brings about moments of high tension and the family dynamics kept me hanging onto every word of this hugely talented writer’s work.

The Boy From The Sea Is published by Picador in the UK on 6th February 2025. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

3.5 stars. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I really liked the melancholy feel to the writing and that it was positioned from the perspective of the whole community (the 'we' was never quantified but I took it to mean everyone who lived and worked around the sea). On the other hand, I wanted to know more about some of the characters - Declan and Christine especially - so I could get more of an understanding of their feelings.
I found the story really interesting in its everyday-ness. The descriptions of the experiences of fishermen and the women they leave onshore were engrossing and vivid. I also liked the theme of how our life experiences shape us, was Brendan the way he was because of his strange start in life or would he always have turned out that way? Would Declan have just found something else to rail against all his life if his dad hadn't brought another baby into their home?
On balance, this was a book I'm glad I read.

I really enjoyed this book and although it was about the boy (Brendan) who had been abandoned and taken in by Ambrose & Christine and brought up with their son Declan. The story is about Brendan but also about the hardships of life in a small Irish town. I enjoy sagas that are set over many decades although they can be slow in places.

This is a good adult debut by Garret Carr and I will definitely look out for more of his books in the future

The Boy from the Sea is a gently meandering novel, never picking up pace or speed even when there actual moments of drama and tension. It’s a nice story of a family that take in an abandoned child, and we see the family and village change over the next 16 years or so, and then we’re done. It’s all perfectly pleasant, but it never grabbed me emotionally and - having finished it a few days ago - I can safely say I’ve not thought of it again since I finished it until now. It’s a nice read, but no more or less.

Family and community are key in The Boy from the Sea. A lyrical debut, painting a vivid picture of a close-knit community and its inhabitants. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review it prior to publication.
The opening reminded me of Heaney’s poem ‘Storm on the Island’ with its focus on the depiction of a small group. It draws you in and it’s hard not to become absorbed in the tale that unfolds in front of us.
When a baby is found washed up on the beach he is, eventually, taken in by fisherman Ambrose Bonnar. We follow the Bonnar family through their lives. We are privy to the observations of many of the villagers as they watch Ambrose and his family go about their business.
A strange set-up, and a large part of the novel focuses on the changes in the community as the fishing industry comes under threat. The family suffer their own trials and tribulations, and though there is a sense of claustrophobia throughout it was fascinating to see the interactions of the characters.

The Boy From the Sea is a Gently written story of two boys growing up in a fishing town, Declan, the birth son of Christine and Ambrose, and Brendan, who was adopted after being found in the sea as a baby.
The fractured relationship between the two brothers continues as the boys grow and change as they get older and the reader’s sympathies follow them.
There is great, tactical narration throughout the story, moving it along the timeline whilst it highlights the realities of a life in a town centred around the harshness of commercial fishing.

Thank you to Picador and Netgalley for the ARC.

We start, early seventies, with a baby being found on a beach. Fisherman Ambrose Bonnar adopts him and names him Brendan, although for some, he will always be the Boy from the Sea. We then follow the family through thick and thin over many years, how Brendan's inclusion causes fractures in the family, as Brendan's wife, Christine, becomes estranged from her sister, Phyllis, who is a spinster looking after their father. How his relationship with brother Declan is affected. We also see how Brendan's inclusion in the community affects it, both in a positive and negative way. We follow all this over many years, good years and bad. All "narrated" by an unnamed "villager". As well as Brendan's tale specifically, we also follow village life and work generally, how the fishing industry gets harder and harder to make a living from. The two main themes weaving seamlessly and lyrically around each other.
I am a bit aware that I have painted things a bit black in my description. But although there are many struggles, the whole is so much more than the sum on the parts and the whole is joyously hopeful. It's a great place and community to lose yourself into for a spell. To put aside your own struggles and see things from a different angle. There is so much going on that I think it has a little for everyone and that everyone who reads the book will come away with something different from it. I know that there are some things that will sit with me for a while yet, and can well see this book as a future rare re-read.
I enjoyed this book, and indeed the style of writing and the voice, so much that, as I often do, I go seek out the author's back catalogue to stuff my tbr with even more delights. But I was surprised when I did this to find that this is his fiction debut. Well, I guess I will just have to wait to see what delight he serves me up for next time instead. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A stunning story about family. The writing is stunning and it’s a classic Irish novel. It’s a story about an entire family. I loved the writing style and the plot. I’ll be recommending to everyone

There is something about life in small towns/villages; about small-knitted communities that really gets to me. And The Boy from the Sea - is not only that story but also the story of the heartbreak such communities can inflict on those that not really belong.
At the centre of this novel is a family and its trajectory over a number of years. The story unfurled at a rather slow, unhurried pace that left one wondering where it was going, what was the purpose. There were moments when I really was not sure about my "enjoyment" but by the end of it, it really left me reeling. It hit me with the force of the storms battering the land! It sure brought tears to my eyes! For me, the look at adoption not only from the point of view of the adoptee but also the family members impacted by the adoption was a fresh one! I have never considered the dynamics outside of the inner world of the person being adopted into an already formed family! And when you take into consideration the world that person was brought into...well it sure complicated matters.

The Boy from the Sea is definitely a complex, layered novel! Be patient and it will reward you!

Garrett Carr’s The Boy from the Sea is a beautifully atmospheric novel that captures the rugged isolation of Donegal and the harsh realities of commercial fishing. The setting is a character in itself, featuring Donegal's wild landscape shaping the lives and choices of the locals.

The story is deeply rooted in family, particularly the complex, unspoken bonds between brothers. Carr portrays the weight of expectation, love, and rivalry that simmers beneath the surface of their relationship, making their interactions feel raw and authentic.

Carr’s lyrical prose, subtle foreshadowing, and the interplay between memory and present add layers of depth to the narrative. The novel lingers long after the final page, leaving a sense of melancholy and quiet reverence for the resilience of those who live and work by the sea.

Highly recommended for readers who appreciate beautifully written, introspective fiction with a strong sense of place and character.

Thanks Netgalley and Picador for the opportunity to review this book.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan, Picador and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Boy From the Sea’ written by Garrett Carr in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s 1973 in the close-knit community of Killybegs in Ireland and a half-barrel lined with silver foil is brought in by the tide. Inside the barrel is a baby boy just days old who the townsfolk take turns caring for. When it’s the turn of the Bonnar family, Ambrose, his wife Christine Bonnar and their son Declan, they adopt the baby and name him Brendan, but to everyone else he’s the boy from the sea.

‘The Boy From the Sea’ is a gentle story told over two decades of the Bonnars, Ambrose, Christine, Declan and Brendon, where Ambrose believes in working hard for what he wants while earning a decent living fishing from his boat the Christine Dawn. The four main characters are intricately described as are their extended family of Christine’s sister Phyllis and their father Eunan. It’s intriguing to read of Brendan who’s not like other boys and has a tense relationship with Declan. He’s often found walking around the town laying hands on members of the community as they ask him for a blessing. This beautifully written story is the author’s debut novel for adults and it’s been a pleasure to read.

DNR @ 18%

Thank you Pan Macmillan, Picador and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was super excited to read this book. I read the blurb and it looked very promising. However, it just wasn't for me.