Grief, isolation, broken relationships and climate change are beautifully and tragically addressed in Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.
Dominick Salt and his three children are the caretakers and lone residents of Shearwater Island, near Antarctica. They’re organizing and packing the contents of a seed bank awaiting a ship to return them to the mainland. Rising tides, harsher weather conditions and the island’s isolation make it uninhabitable or a viable environment for continued study. Shearwater is a critical element of the story.
When a barely-alive woman washes ashore during a severe storm there’s an immediate sense of foreboding. Rowan’s reasons for traveling to Shearwater are suspect given Shearwater’s remoteness; when she reveals that she’s looking for her husband who had been in charge of the seed bank, the Salts’ reticence makes her suspicious.
As Rowan’s wounds heal she gets to know each of the children, while remaining mistrustful of Dom. The five characters are richly portrayed, each nearly eclipsed by grief and none able to communicate their feelings.
McConaughy’s writing maintains a palpable sense of tension throughout the narrative. It’s nerve-wracking and impressively captivating with numerous unanswered questions: what happened to the other members of the research team; how will the Salts adjust from their extremely secluded life; can their brokenness be mended; and more.
First person voice tells Rowan and Dom’s side of the story, while third person voice is used for the children. Short chapters further heighten a sense of dread, but also offer occasional glimmers of hope.
Wild Dark Shore
Five Bookmarks
Flatiron Books, 2025
302 pages, includes acknowledgements
The Blue Page Special 