Migrations
McConaghy, CharlotteWhen Franny Stone with her bad case of wanderlust and affinity for birds, inveigles her way onto a fishing boat in order to follow the last Arctic terns on their migration to Antarctica, it is the beginning of an epic voyage.
Set in the near future with the effects of climate change well in play, the story moves seamlessly between time and place unreeling a nautical adventure and a journey of personal redemption for Franny and her complicated past. Haunting, riveting, but undeniably hopeful. [Small font]
Pages
276
276
Year
2020
2020
Reviews
20-11-2023
Some struggled, some enjoyed. A bit of suspended belief needed!
06-11-2023
This was a polarising read for our group. People loved it or hated it. We all commented on the beautiful descriptive writing.
02-10-2023
A dark but thought provoking book that was enjoyed by all in our group. Had an enjoyable discussion on conservation and climate change.
29-09-2023
Most of the group found the structure of the book did not work ie. moving backwards and forwards in time. There were a lot of inconsistencies and unfinished loose ends. On the whole the group did not enjoy the book - felt the ending was unsatisfactory.
29-09-2023
Most readers felt so overwhelmed by the depression of the protagonist that it was difficult to focus on the actual story. A good subject that missed the point (climate change) with too much going on.
19-09-2023
Interesting and different. Not altogether credible but a good story never-the-less.
03-07-2023
The book was warmly received by everyone and a couple of members thought it was an outstanding novel. Heroine was quirky and overall theme of collapse of ecosystems was very real. Poetic style of writing also admired by all.
04-05-2023
All of our group agreed this was one of the best books we've had. Only complaints were the font size for our older members who like to read at night, and the way the time sequence jumped, although others thought this was superbly done as it wove the back story of Franny's life into the devastation of the world. Highly relevant with lots of discussion around climate change and global warming. We were left wondering if this is a glimpse into a possible future.
20-04-2023
All of our group agreed this was one of the best books we've had. Only complaints were the font size for our older members who like to read at night, and the way the time sequence jumped, although others thought this was superbly done as it wove the back story of Franny's life into the devastation of the world.
17-04-2023
Everyone found this a rather bleak story. Some lovely descriptive writing, but the story was far fetched. Some characters could have been developed further. Some didn't like the constant shifting back and forwards with the past and present events.
17-04-2023
The climate change theme was enjoyed by all. Some found the twisted plot a bit frustrating. The sea voyages on the fishing boat were realistically described and easy to visualise. Book created a very interesting and stimulating discussion,. Excellent language.
24-03-2023
Not believable. No one could relate to the main character. Some good writing but story does not hold together as a whole. Not good at promoting climate change emergency as not convincing.
23-11-2022
Fascinating following the migratory paths of these resilient birds.
05-10-2022
Lots of us loved this book. Recommended. Great character development. Impressive first novel with a consistent and believable voice. Compelling but grueling. The gap between now and then was fine tuned. A few problems with loose ends and suspending reality.
23-09-2022
We found this book got better as the pages turned - it initially bounced around, but as the story unfolded it was quite a thriller, though at times somewhat fantastical. It demonstrated a possible ecological disaster as we rape and pillage the ocean, however it was educational and perhaps the terns' migration was meant to symbolize that endurance and hope as Franny's life also seemed full of despair and chaos. It was great to finish on a note of hope and new beginnings.
15-08-2022
Mixed feelings amongst our members. Lyrical prose emphasising loss of species because of global warming.
27-07-2022
Mixed reviews with this one. Some really couldn't "get into it", while others liked it.
11-06-2022
4.5 stars. We all enjoyed this book. It has a rocky start and a central character we initially couldnt identify with, but as the book revealed itself, the rhythm of the writing won us over. Interesting, slightly dystopian ( and emotionally challenging) setting. An easy read despite all of the above and an enjoyable one.