On midnight beach

Based on an Irish legend, two teens fall in love against a backdrop of a blazing hot summer.

In this beautiful, epic coming-of-age novel, an old tale is rewoven as a stunning YA story by well-known Irish author/illustrator Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick.

I kept clear of Dog Cullen. Till the summer we turned seventeen, the summer the dolphin came to Carrig Cove . . .

Donegal, 1976

When a dolphin takes up residence in Carrig Cove, Emer and her best friend, Fee, feel like they have an instant connection with it. Then Dog Cullen and his sidekick, Kit, turn up, and the four friends begin to sneak out at midnight to go down to the beach, daring each other to swim closer and closer to the creature . . .

But the fame and fortune the dolphin brings to their small village builds resentment amongst their neighbours across the bay, and the summer days get longer and hotter . . . There is something wild and intense in the air. Love feels fierce, old hatreds fester, and suddenly everything feels worth fighting for.

NOTE : Some strong language, discussion of sex, and graphic descriptions of fist fights and an animal death.
NOTE: Carnegie Medal Longlist 2021

Beautifully written, completely immersive tale of love and loss with a strong sense of place. Powerful coming-of-age novel that deserves a wide audience

• Longlisted - UKLA Book Awards (Ages 11–14+) 2021
• Longlisted - Carnegie Medal 2021