A fixture of our television screens since she first joined Good Morning Britain in 1988, Lorraine Kelly certainly has a way with words – and with her debut novel The Island Swimmer, she has now added the title of author to her bow.

Set in the north-eastern Scottish archipelago beloved by Kelly for its rich culture, this novel has been labelled the broadcaster’s love letter to Orkney. The Island Swimmer has a strong sense of place and even stronger, complex characters, descriptions of the “azure” sea, “bone-white beaches” and “vivid green fields” placing readers on the island.

The novel’s timeframe jumps from Evie’s childhood in late 20th century Orkney, to her escape to London in 2004, and return to Orkney upon her father’s death in the present day. From the get-go, there is enigma around why Evie left her home island 20 years ago: not until later in the book do we find out why, along with the reason for Evie’s hydrophobia.

However, at the heart of the story is the cold-water swimming community, in which women support women, that Kelly adores. Led by the grandmother of the novel – the fashionable and kind-hearted Freya, to whom most characters turn for support at some point – Evie finds a sisterhood in this community and calmness beneath the waves that wash away the torments of her past. Between these pages Kelly dexterously covers themes of guilt, family complications, identity, homesickness and friendship and emphasises the importance of being true to yourself.