The Secret of Roan Inish (aka The Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry) by Rosalie K. Fry, 1957, 1959 (first US edition), 1995 (movie tie-in).

This is the book that the movie The Secret of Roan Inish is based on. The movie tie-in book contains the text of the original book, which was called Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry (Child of the Western Isles), and pictures from the movie (the original book had black-and-white drawings). The movie follows the plot of the original book fairly well, although the location was changed to Ireland and some of the names were altered to reflect the change in location. For example, the family name in the book was McConville, not Coneelly, and Fiona’s cousin was Rory in the book and Eamon in the movie. My book, like the original, takes place in Scotland, and notations under the pictures call the characters by their original names.

Ten-year-old Fiona has been living in a big city ever since her family left the island of Ron Mor about four years earlier to seek new jobs and new opportunities. However, Fiona’s health has been poor, and her doctor has advised her to return to the seaside for the healthier atmosphere. The book begins with her journey to stay with her grandparents who still live close to Ron Mor. Fiona’s homecoming is tinged with both sadness and hope, as she reflects on the mysterious disappearance of her baby brother the day that her family left the island.

Although her brother apparently floated out to sea in his cradle after being left unattended on the beach, Fiona has the feeling that he is still alive somewhere close to the island. She learns that her cousin Rory also believes the local rumors that the boy is still on Ron Mor in the company of the seals that populate the area around the island. Moreover, Rory and other family members share Fiona’s longing to return to their old home and their family’s traditional way of life as fishermen. Fiona’s determination to find her younger brother and bring him and the rest of their family home to the island is touching and emphasizes the importance of family ties.

There is also an element of fantasy because of the story that Fiona’s grandfather tells about the family’s heritage, which helps explain their special connection to the sea and seals around the island. He and other members of the family believe that one of their ancestors was a selkie, a magical person who could change into a seal.  The story is gentle and upbeat, which makes a nice change from a lot of modern children’s books.  I think that it’s just plain magic.

Something that the book clarifies, which is more vague in the movie, is that everyone in Fiona’s family, except for her little brother, has red hair.  All of the McConvilles always have red hair, except for those who are apparently closer to their Selkie ancestry, who have very dark hair.  They couldn’t clarify that point in the movie because the girl playing Fiona is blonde, and everyone else has different hair colors, but that’s why her brother is so markedly different in his appearance.

Physical copies of the original book are expensive collectors’ items, but there is good news: it’s now available on Kindle and through Internet Archive (where you can borrow an electronic copy for free), so if you’re nostalgic or just curious, it’s easier to read it now!