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 is still considered lucky to find a sea bean on the shore, they have been used as magical charms for more than a thousand years. Sally’s search for a sea bean begins not long after she moves to the windswept archipelago of Shetland. When pregnancy triggers a chronic illness and forces her to slow down, Sally takes to the beaches. There she discovers treasure freighted with story and curiosities that connect her to the world. The 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.

“I set out on each beachcomb with the hope of finding a sea bean. It was this hope that made me venture out in all weathers and on days when it was not easy to walk. It took me many years of seraching before I found a sea bea of my own, but in this time I did return to myself.”

Sally Huband “Sea Bean”. Published by Hutchinson Heinemann in 2023. Donated to the library by Wendy from the UK who is working in the library field ❤️

Photos by Anna Iltnere / Sea Library