Tomas, a frail, shy eight-year-old boy, has been living a solitary life in a drab orphanage sad, friendless and alone. Then a joyous burst of colour comes into his world: Maire O'Donnell, whose smile and spirit light up the darkest room and Tomas's heart. Before he knows it, Tomas is on a boat, sailing to wind-swept Corrie Island off the coast of Ireland, where he meets Alec, her reticent husband who cannot hide his disappointment with the boy.
Undiscouraged, Maire introduces Tomas the wonders of his new world. She shares with him the secret of the seals, the mystery of the stone giant and shows him that you can find magic anywhere- if you really look. In this rugged and enchanting world, Tomas thrives. He befriends a pair of island children and rescues an orphan seal pup who join him on his journey of self-discovery. Slowly, Alec too begins to see in Tomas what Maire always has.
But when tragedy strikes, Tomas is faced with his greatest challenge yet, for he will lose everything unless he can find and share the magic that's inside him. Risking all, Tomas embarks on a perilous journey where he will need to call on all of Maire's gifts to triumph and come home.
A Shine of Rainbows is a story about the transformational power of love- about finding acceptance, discovering magic, and about realizing that rainbows are all around you and within you, too.