Read more
Ailsa's mum is ill, not the first time, so they spend the summer with her aunt and uncle. Aunt Bertha, Uncle Nod and their dog Moxie live on an island off the coast, by a beautiful fishing village surrounded by beaches and clifftops. Ailsa and Moxie spend their whole time there exploring these beaches and cliffs, until one day they find a hidden cave. Inside the cave, they find Hefring, a strange woman not keen on strangers.
Ailsa slowly gets to know who Hefring is. She is a selkie, a mermaid, a billow maiden from ancient myth. However, she is stuck on land and slowly dying. It is up to Ailsa and her new friend Camilla to save her, but there are plenty of obstacles in the way - not least Ailsa's own fears and her mum's illness.
The Billow Maiden is a beautifully told tale of friendship, family, healing and transformation from a stunning new writer for children.
About the author
James Dixon is a London-born, Glasgow-based novelist, poet, and playwright. His debut novel, The Unrivalled Transcendence of Willem J. Gyle (Thistle, 2017) was shortlisted for the 2018 Somerset Maugham Award by the Society of Authors. His debut play, It's My Turn, was performed as part of the 2019 Edinburgh Science Festival, aimed at younger audiences. The Billow Maiden is his first novel aimed at younger readers.
Summary
The heartwarming and lyrical middle-grade story of Ailsa, a young girl who's spending the summer with her aunt and uncle on a remote island when she discovers a cave and in it a billow maiden who has lost her sea-skin and needs her help.
