Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry

Story

Fiona, living in a busy, smoky city, misses the Western Isles of Scotland where she grew up. At the age of ten, she is sent back to the islands to live with her grandparents. While there, she discovers a land full of folklore and mystery as she learns about the selkies, mythological seals that can shed their skins to become human, and sets out to find her baby brother Jamie, who disappeared at sea many years ago…

Why we chose it

An imaginative and atmospheric retelling of traditional Selkie tales.

Where it came from

Rosalie Kingsmill Fry (1911 – 1992) was a Canadian-Welsh children’s author, illustrator, toymaker, and an officer in the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the Second World War. At the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, Fry realised she did not know any authors who would write books for her to illustrate, so decided she would write her own. The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry was initially given the name Child of the Western Isles for its British publication. The book uses the legend of the selkies, seals who become women when they shed their skins. These creatures occur in Irish and Scottish folklore, particularly Orkney and the Shetland islands.

Where it went next

In 1994 the novel was adapted into a popular film, The Secret of Roan Inish, directed by John Sayles, which transposes the action to Ireland. The different name is due to the change of location; while ‘Ron Mor’ is a Scottish term for ‘seal,’ ‘Roan Inish’ means ‘seal island’ in Irish. Both Celtic countries share several cultural touchstones, including the selkie myths, whose role is greatly increased in the 1994 film. The film was successful and well-received by critics and audiences.

Associated stories

Fry wrote and illustrated more than 30 books over the course of her career, including an illustrated edition of The Water Babies (1957) by Charles Kingsley.