Play Book Tag discussion

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy - 4* - My Review

Set in a dystopian future when most animal species have gone extinct, protagonist Franny has decided to follow the last migration of the Arctic terns. As the story opens, she is in Greenland trying to convince a fisherman and his crew to take her on a voyage to Antarctica. She tells them the birds will direct them to the fish.

The storyline alternates between her present journey and flashbacks to her past. Franny is a wanderer who knows little about her parents, who vanished from her life when she was young. We learn about her life in Ireland and Australia, as well as how she met her husband and what happened between them. It gradually becomes evident that there are other, deeper reasons for her decision to embark upon this quest.

It is a story of both the environmental damage caused by humankind and a very personal story of a damaged woman. The writing is atmospheric. There is a little too much melodrama in Franny's backstory for my personal taste, and parts of it stretch belief to the breaking point, but overall, I appreciated it and found it easy to remain engaged.

Glad you also enjoyed it!

I did. I had some trouble with (view spoiler)[ the depiction of Antarctica, as if you just park your boat at the curb and walk onto the snow and ice. Also, if you were to submerge into that cold water, you would never be able to get out. (hide spoiler)] But by then I was engaged, so I let it slide.

Joy D wrote: "I did. I had some trouble with [spoilers removed] But by then I was engaged, so I let it slide."

Yeah, of course, and it is fiction and SFF after all.

I found such a doom-filled heartbreaking book ultimately to be incredibly hopeful -- quite an accomplishment.

Yes, I agree. I've just read too much non-fiction about Antarctica, lol.

Joy D wrote: "I did. I had some trouble with [spoilers removed] But by then I was engaged, so I let it slide."

Joy, your description of Antarctica is how I actually imagine it, lol. So I had absolutely no problem with this part of the book. Guess I need to learn a little bit more about Antarctica.

I also was concerned it would be depressing but didn't find that. I gave the book 5 stars.

Yeah, sometimes my non-fiction reading gets in the way of my suspension of disbelief. I know this book is set in the future and is not intended to be realistic. It does have a good message though.