Migrations: A Novel

Migration is the first eco-fiction journey of the Australian writer Charlotte McConaghy.
It is a beautiful story about a woman, Franny Stone, who is kind and loving but someone who is unable to stay. She keeps running from her memories, childhood and mistakes and this time, leaving everything behind but her research gear, Franny has come to Greenland. Her purpose of coming to Greenaland is to follow the last Arctic terns of the world on what could be their ultimate migration to Antarctica. During her journey, she encounters Ennis Malone who is the captain of the only boat that could take her to Antarctica. She manages to persuade the captain to join his crew by ensuring that she will help them find fish through the terns.

Migrations=

4.5 out of 5

Introduction

As the ship sails, Franny’s history- an absent family, a passionate love affair and a devastating crime- starts to unspool which makes it clear that she is chasing something more than the terns. Franny’s journey is going to be about meeting new people, following the terns and catching up with her own dark secrets. She is taking another chance at redemption and no one knows how much she is willing to risk for it.
Breathtaking and intimate, Migrations is a novel that is an ode to the disappearing world. It is a novel that narrates the strength of hope against all odds.

Book Details

Print length 255 pages
Language English
Publisher Flatiron Books
Publication date August 4, 2020

About the Author


Charlotte McConaghy

Based in Sydney, Charlotte McConaghy is an Australian author and screenwriter. She is a popular figure who has been writing from a very young age. McConaghy completed her undergraduate in Screenwriting and later on she did her masters in Screen Arts from the Australian Film Television and Radio School. She is a versatile human being who has worked in film and television for their script development department. Along with this she has also published 8 books in Australia which includes the Chronicle of Kaya series. Migrations is her first adult literary fiction; however, she has written various other speculative fiction books.

Migrations is one of her best works and her first book that has crossed oceans. Released in 2020, Migrations received a lot of appreciation and Charlotte gained immense popularity through it.

Charlotte McConaghy is a strong woman who loves nature and wildlife. She is also passionate about the wildlife extinction crisis faced by the world today and this led her to pen down Migrations. She is currently working on her new novel, Once There Were Wolves, which revolves around a biologist who is charged with using wolves to rebuild a landscape which will bring back a forest to life. View Amazon Profile

Our Take

Migrations is an environmental fiction which takes us on a beautiful journey. The story revolves around Franny Stone who has been a wanderer all her life. She has had a troubled past which was filled with neglect, crime and abandonment. Along with this side of her life, the narrator has also beautifully described the kind of relationship she had with her husband in the past. From the beginning to the complicated journey to the letters that are still unsent, her marital life has been narrated as a whirlwind romance. We absolutely loved how McConaghy has described the life of a woman who is living in a world where people have lost all the animals. During her journey, the readers are subliminally told to save the world and the animals that are still present in the real world. While sometimes the hints are subliminal, other times these issues are directly addressed. People who love to read environmental fiction would absolutely love this novel.

On her journey from Greenland to Antarctica in Ennis Malone’s ship, Fanny starts remembering her past. This is when the crew of the ship realizes that she is not what she seems. Battered by nightmares, stubborn on following the terns and accumulated with a pile of unsent letters, Fanny is a woman with various dark secrets. As her story starts to unveil, the members of the crew begin to ponder what this girl is running towards or running from. This shows how the story is covering various themes. From environmental issues to personal sorrows, it has covered it all.

We think that the language of Migration is poetic and lovely with its admiration for nature. Even though Fanny is a nature lover yet she is sorrow for being a part of the destruction that humans have caused to the planet. Not only this but she believes that she is a part of the aftermath as well.

As much as readers have enjoyed reading this novel, they believe that some parts of it are dark, depressive and tear junking and humorous. It is a complete package that will make you feel extremely emotional yet intrigued. Most readers are of the opinion that the storyline is so strong that it shakes you to the core, so before you buy a ticket to this adventure make sure you prepare yourself for a rollercoaster ride.

It is one of the best books to have been realized, especially during a pandemic. The phenomenal, emotional, tragic and haunting story is an ode to the world which is not to be missed. While most of the readers absolutely loved the story there were some who did not find it entertaining. Migrations has garnered a lot of love and appreciation so we suggest you to read this well-crafted novel that will linger with you even after the voyage ends.

What we Liked

Written by Charlotte McConaghy, Migrations is an epic novel that will keep you at the edge with its brilliant story. We loved how it has a vibe of a contemporary novel which talks about a world that exists yet it is disappearing. During the novel, the narrator keeps reminding us the way the world has changed. We think that the way it talks about animals and birds disappearing is extremely interesting yet thought provoking and alarming. It tells the readers how the world is going to suffer once all the animals are lost. The losses have been explained directly through the narrative and subliminally as well.
Along with this, the writer has beautifully narrated Franny’s story and her past. We loved how she has interwoven both of them into an intimate story.