Recent Reviews
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Reading a Chalotte McConaghy novel assures you that you are in the hands of a talented writer. Her latest book, Wild Dark Shore is a beautiful and atmospheric story woven together with a gripping mystery. This novel is both a family drama and a haunting homage to humanity’s indifference toward the ongoing climate crisis threatening our planet.
Dominic Salt and his three children serve as caretakers on Shearwater island, located near Antarctica. They live in the island’s lighthouse. The children have a deep affection, though complicated relationship with their widowed father who continues to grieve for their mother who died during the birth of the youngest child. The Salt family has been part of a scientific community dedicated to studying climate change and protecting the world’s largest seed bank. However, as the permafrost melts and ocean levels rise, the island becomes unsustainable. All the scientists and researchers have already been evacuated. Dominic and his family await the final boat to ferry them home to Australia. The growing isolation and anticipation intensify the novel’s tension.
As they wait for their departure, a mysterious woman named Rowan washes ashore. The Salt family cares for her as she recovers, all the while questioning how and why she arrived on their remote island. Like the Salt family members, Rowan harbors secrets that slowly come to light. McConaghy skillfully propels the story forward by narrating from five distinct points of view. Some plot twists are frustrating and require suspending belief, but nonetheless, the story remains compelling.
McConaghy’s vivid descriptions of the natural world, especially aquatic life including dolphins, otters, sea lions, whales, seals, penguins are remarkable. She describes the changing tides and the howling winds and the interdependence of all species with reverence and beauty.
The story takes place in the future, yet the alarming realities of climate change make the events seem imminent. In fact, McConaghy based Shearwater Island on her visit to Macquarie Island a subantarctic island halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica. In 2016, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault’s tunnel flooded due to melting permafrost.
Despite the novel’s eerie and ominous tone, it ultimately explores human resilience and the breathtaking beauty and complexity of nature. While some may dismiss the issue, McConaghy’s compelling novel reminds us that climate change is real. 4/5
