“Sometimes I dream of them waiting in that tree for a girl who would never come, bringing gift after precious gift to lie unloved in the grass.”
Migrations (Flatiron Books 2020) was Charlotte McConaghy’s US debut, and it’s been on my shelf for years. I read Once There Were Wolves and Wild Dark Shore before Migrations, and I was a bit surprised to see echoes of both in the debut work. It’s not just the ecological thriller formula; the lighthouse and the wolves in Migration evolved into the subsequent works. Migrations is my least favorite of the three, but I’m not sure if it’s because she’s improving on that formula or you just remember the first time you see it and that novel holds a special place for you.
While not my favorite, that formula is a proven one, and I enjoy how she’s used it in three very different novels that are somehow still the same. Hard women with complicated relationships with mothers and/or motherhood and at least one dark secret. Harsh and wild climates. Environmental destruction and species loss. Violence on women perpetrated by men. Isolation. And they all end with a hint of hope. These are extremely palatable and quick reads – perfect for book clubs.
Migrations sees Franny Stone tagging three Artic terns with trackers and convincing a rough and ready boat captain and his crew to take her aboard their fishing boat – they’ll follow the terns on what may very well be their final migration and the fishermen will be rewarded because the terns will lead them to the fish. It’s a desperate journey for all aboard. As the boat follows the birds, Franny’s tortured personal history unfolds – a personal history that has driven her frantic efforts to find and follow the terns.
Much like the other two novels I’ve read, I enjoyed Migrations. And yes, the thought of her crows waiting for her to come back had me beside myself.
A Girl Named Tommi 