on the wings of a dove...

The Gracekeepers,by Kirsty Logan. Rising sea waters have turned Earth into a series of islands and its population into two types: landlockers, who control the dwindling resources on land, and damplings, who make their home on boats at sea. Callanish is a so-called gracekeeper, living in solitude on an isolated island, taking payment in food and supplies for providing underwater burial rituals for damplings. North-along with her beloved dancing bear companion-is the star of a ramshackle circus that travels by boat from island to island. Both young women have secrets, and when they meet each other in the wake of a tragedy, they begin to imagine a possibility for a third kind of life, one that might bridge the divide between land and sea. The narration incorporates the voices of North and Callanish, other circus folk, and Callanish's family and acquaintances, building a convincing world. Filled  with classic fairy tale elements such as world trees and selkies,