With its richly detailed setting (think stone cottages and Poldark-esque windy cliffs) and blend of folklore, history and adventure, this enchanting debut novel offers both suspense and romance.

- The Washington Post, 1 of 6 Noteworthy Books for January

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Bookshop.org US
Bookshop.org UK

“Passion and adventure combine to make this breathtaking debut a completely gripping read. Unputdownable!”

–Fiona Valpy, author of The Sky Beneath Us

The Sea Child

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…

“A stunning debut deliciously laced with folklore, mystery and romance. I loved it!”

-Liz Fenwick, author of The Secret Shore

“In this vibrant debut . . . Wilgus peppers the narrative with illuminating details about the legacy of smuggling in Cornwall and dashes of mysticism. This stands out from the pack...”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Amazon US
Amazon UK

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 was published 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! My next novel, The Myth Keeper publishes in February 2027.

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 my books, please have a look around the site. Happy travels!

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The Sea Child in The Times
The Sea Child in The Times

I was thrilled to see The Sea Child in Friday’s edition of The Times, recommended by the wonderful Alice of one of my favourite indie bookshops, The St Ives Bookseller in St Ives, Cornwall. Thank you so much Alice! ❤️ And to see it mentioned in the same sentence as The Correspondent was extremely cool!

UK paperback cover
UK paperback cover

I'm so excited to get to share the UK paperback cover of my debut novel THE SEA CHILD with you! 🩵 Those of you who know the hardback cover will see it's very different from that one and I absolutely love it! One of my favourite things about this beautiful cover is that it leans into the romance of Isabel's story, with both main characters featured. I also love how it taps into the sense of adventure with the ship in the background.

Meagan’s book club podcast
Meagan’s book club podcast

I had such a great time talking all things The Sea Child, books and writing with Meagan of the brilliant podcast Meagan’s Book Club! We talked about the inspiration behind the book, what it’s like to be a debut author, my writing process, Cornwall and much more.

Linda’s Instagram

Magnificent skies, unexpectedly huge numbers of already-ripe blackberries and a smiling Luna dog on our walk yesterday evening ☀️ I've been working on the proofread of The Myth Keeper this weekend (in between ferrying the kids around) and am going to
Thrilled to see the wonderful Alice of @stivesbookseller recommending The Sea Child in today's edition of The Times! 😍 Thank you so much Alice!! ❤️ What a great way to start the weekend! I loved reading all of the other recommendations too (and adde
For Brandon's birthday, I got us tickets to see La Bohème at the Royal Opera House @royalballetandopera and it was amazing! ❤️ We had not been to the opera since our eldest was born (and she's 17 now) so it was a real treat. I can't wait to go
I'm so excited to get started on The Date by fellow 2026 debut author @t_h_murdock 🤗📖 I love a good thriller and this is so right up my alley! I can't wait to put my legs up after another ridiculously busy day, half of which saw me working on first
I signed some 300 or so book plates yesterday to send to some of my favourite indie bookshops (you are all seriously fabulous! ❤️) together with some snazzy bookmarks featuring the UK paperback cover of The Sea Child 🌊🌊🌊 If you're a bookseller and
My favourite local indie bookshop @nichecomicsbookshop today 😍 To celebrate the paperback publication of The Sea Child in the UK tomorrow my husband and I had a lovely long lunch at one of our favourite restaurants. After that we stopped by our loca
Out tomorrow in paperback in the UK! 🌊🌊🌊 If you haven't picked up a copy of my debut novel The Sea Child yet now may be the time as it's a perfect summer read! It publishes in the UK tomorrow with my lovely publisher @simonschusteruk 💕 I've been
Wonderful day in London this weekend with my 14 y.o. We did lots of shopping, including at one of my favourite Waterstones @waterstoneshighholborn 📖❤️ Today I got some more copyediting and some more writing done. Hope you're having a great start to

The Sea Child

Available January 20, 2026 (US) and February 12, 2026 (UK)

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