It was a grey and misty morning when she appeared on the Cornish shore. A girl of only four years old, soaking wet, unable to speak. The villagers believe she was brought from the sea, the daughter of mystical sea creatures. Now, newly widowed, she returns to start a new life and as she settles in Cornwall, she feels the sea calling to her to come back home…
An enchanting novel full of adventure, romance, mystery and magic, coming January 20 with Ballantine, Penguin Random House & February 12, 2026 with Simon & Schuster UK
The Sea Child
Cornwall, England, early 1800s: Destitute and forced to leave her home in London, Isabel, a young widow of the Napoleonic Wars, returns to the village on the rugged Cornish coast where she was found as a small child, dripping wet and alone. Hoping to learn more about her enigmatic origins, she’s shocked to find herself at the center of a local legend claiming she’s the daughter of a sea spirit.
As Isabel adjusts to life in her rented cottage, the coast is rife with smugglers and the Revenue Officers who hunt them. One evening, a group of dangerous raiders arrive at her door, carrying their wounded captain, Jack. Remembering her late husband’s fatal injuries, Isabel decides to care for Jack and soon senses a powerful connection between them. Even after Jack recovers, Isabel finds herself unable to forget him. Meanwhile, the sea calls to her, and a Revenue Officer who likes to hang smugglers poses a threat in more ways than one. Before long, she finds herself caught on the wrong side of the law, with violence and heartbreak looming.
From the coves of Cornwall to the wild coast of Brittany, during perilous raids at sea and society dinner parties, Isabel fights to understand her kinship with the ocean while seeking answers about her past. But when the threat catches up with them and Jack’s life hangs in the balance, she must draw on all her courage and delve deep into mythical heart of the Cornish coast. For only a Sea Child can turn the tide…
Hi and welcome! I’m Linda, author of historical fiction with a heavy dose of romance, folklore and mystery. My debut novel The Sea Child is coming out in January 2026 and I’m so excited for readers to meet main character Isabel and join her on her journey in 1800s Cornwall, England.
From our house on a village green, I love dipping into different time periods by writing about them. It’s like time travel! If you’d like to learn more about The Sea Child or my other projects, please have a look around the site. Happy travels!
Linda
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The Sea Child
Available January 20, 2026 (US) and February 12, 2026 (UK)