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Title:
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Wild Dark Shore |
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Authors:
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McConaghy, Charlotte |
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Genre:
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Fiction |
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Pages:
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298 |
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Year:
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2025 |
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Publisher:
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Penguin Books |
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Language:
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English |
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Description:
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Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world's largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, 18 and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, 17, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; 9-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can't stop turning back towards the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.
Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn't telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realises Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it's too late - and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.
Comments from BDS Reviewers:"This is a beautifully written book, dark, mysterious, dystopian yet plausible. It feels lonely, isolating, desperate and yet hopeful. It is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time".
"I enjoyed the interconnection of ecology, history and the mystery of the island, and learnt a lot about seeds and fauna. I think it is an easy read".
"Loved the mystery/thriller element, and the twists and turns of the plot".
"For me, the beauty of this book was the vivid imagery and descriptions of the last outpost in a lost world and the struggle for relationships and survival".
"Really interesting and thought-provoking setting. She manages to capture the remoteness, the wild weather and the ruggedness of the island. You can actually feel the cold and wet!"
"I felt like I was there".
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Categories:
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Fiction, Dystopia/Futuristic, Environmental, Family Saga, Mystery, Australia, Just Added, 2027 Titles |
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