Sea Bean - by Sally Huband (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"Sea Bean is a coastal treasure. Its hard-won attentiveness shows the wonder and vulnerability of our interconnected oceans, wildlife, and people. In Sally's writing, beachcombing--an old island pursuit--is modern, revealing and restorative. The next time I am at the shore I will have a deeper appreciation and curiosity."--Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant

A Waterstones Nature and Travel Best Book of 2023

Winner of the Highlands Book Prize 2023

Longlisted for the Wainwright Nature Prize

A powerful journey of sea and self, trial and hope on the islands of Shetland, where climate change is making marked impacts on the natural world.

When a seed falls from a vine in the tropics and is carried by ocean currents across the Atlantic to the shores of Western Europe, it is known as a sea bean. It's long been lucky to find a sea bean upon the shore; these seeds have been collected and used as magical charms for more than a thousand years.

This lyrical and moving work of nature writing explores:

• Nature Memoir: A deeply personal account of finding solace and a new sense of self on the wild shores of Shetland after a life-changing diagnosis.
• Island Life: An intimate portrait of the Shetland archipelago, from its ancient myths and unique wildlife to the challenges of climate change impacting a fragile coastal community.
• Healing Journey: How the simple act of searching the strandline for treasures--from storm-tossed curiosities to the elusive sea bean--can become a powerful path to hope and belonging.
• Scottish Nature Writing: A beautifully written exploration of the interconnectedness of our oceans and ourselves, perfect for fans of Amy Liptrot and Robert Macfarlane.

Sally Huband's search for the elusive sea bean begins shortly after she moves to the windswept archipelago of Shetland, the northernmost region of Great Britain, situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. When pregnancy triggers a chronic illness and forces her to slow down, Sally turns to the beaches for solace and wellbeing. There, she discovers treasure freighted with story and curiosities that connect her to the world.

The wild shores of Shetland offer glimpses of orcas swimming through the ocean at dusk, the chance to release a tiny storm petrel into the dark of the night, and a path of hope. This beachcombing path takes her from the Faroese archipelago to the Orkney islands, and the Dutch island of Texel. It opens a world of ancient myths, fragile ecology, and deep human history. It brings her to herself again.

Sea Bean is a like a message in a bottle. It reveals the interconnection of our oceans, our communities, and ourselves, and offers both comfort and an invitation to feel belonging when we are adrift.

Review Quotes

"Sea Bean is a coastal treasure. Its hard-won attentiveness shows the wonder and vulnerability of our interconnected oceans, wildlife, and people. In Sally's writing, beachcombing--an old island pursuit--is modern, revealing and restorative. The next time I am at the shore I will have a deeper appreciation and curiosity." - Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant

"A notable addition the canon of beachcombing literature . . . the inspiring story of a woman coming to terms with a life-changing medical condition by finding beauty and interest and wonder in the infinite variety of things she finds washed up along the shore." - Scotsman

"This is a book with real heart. As she scours the coastline of her wild island home, Huband shows us not only the delights of hunting for treasure amongst the detritus, but also the horrors of climate change in real time. It will change the way I look at beaches forever."

- Lulah Ellender, author of Elisabeth's Lists, Grounding: Finding home in a garden, and Nature's Calendar

"Sally Huband is a perceptive and engaging guide to the shores of Shetland and beyond. Full of curiosity and candour, SEA BEAN reveals the mysteries and wonders that are found where land and water meet."

"A spectacular book, with a gorgeous slow, sad pace, full of quietly vital information. Sally seems to know just the right way to tell beautiful stories about quiet things. For me anyway, it's an instant classic of nature writing."

"A magical, moving, strange book."

"A hymn to the vast watery depths of our planet, Sally explores the vital connections between humans and the creatures contained within and shaped by our precious seas. SEA BEAN is as vital and complex as the oceans themselves."

"A wild melding of body and landscape. A deep, immersive, storm-tossed read."

"Like its talismanic title, Huband's voice is distinct and singular. A gorgeous reckoning with the sea, islands and mythology."

"Tender and thoughtful, Sea Bean is a quiet treasure." - Booklist

"Huband's knack for metaphor extends beyond the sea bean--a colony of terns becomes 'a swirling cloud of white that takes on a maleficent form.' Such rapturous language, combined with Huband's infectious curiosity about the world around her, make this sing." - Publishers Weekly