The Sea Child

In Wilgus’s vibrant debut, a young widow retreats from early-19th-century London to the Cornish coastal village where she was discovered wandering the shore as a little girl and raised by her adoptive parents. After Isabel’s husband, George, dies at the Battle of Trafalgar, she befriends James, his fellow Royal Navy sailor. Soon, rumors surface that she’s having an affair with James, prompting her to leave town. She has only faint memories of being found on the Cornish coast, and villagers believe she is the daughter of a sea creature, the Sea Bucca. Though she quickly settles into her rental cottage and learns housekeeping skills from her landlady, Isabel feels uneasy around the village’s lecherous revenue officer. Then smugglers bring their injured captain, Jack, into her cottage and she gives up her bed for him to recuperate in, finding solace in his presence. After he leaves, she cannot forget him, and when they meet up again, Isabel convinces Jack to take her on his next journey to France, leading to a confrontation with the revenue officer. Wilgus peppers the narrative with illuminating details about the legacy of smuggling in Cornwall and dashes of mysticism. This stands out from the pack of historicals about Cornwall. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Jan.)