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There are currently 41 member reviews
for Migrations
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Lois B. (Eden, VT)
One to Share
This is definitely a book I would share with my book group. It would bring about really great discussions; whether you agree, disagree, or somewhere in between regarding the earth and the changes mankind has wrought the author has written a story to bring the subject to life. It brought out feelings of anger (not necessarily for who you would think), sadness, but also life affirming. I will add this author to my "one to watch" list.
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Lynn D. (Kingston, NY)
Perilous journeys
Migrations is an ambitious novel taking on large themes with a strong main character. Bird and animal extinction caused by climate change is major story line. The protagonist, Franny, is compelled to follow the migration of arctic terns from Greenland to Antarctica. It takes most of the novel for us to understand why she pursues this perilous journey. She needs healing, and undergoes her own migrations to find a way to survive. Some of the plot devices did not seem to me to be consistent with their characters, but overall this is a compelling story, and mystery. We're not told how far into the future the story is set, but the dire consequences of climate change should concern us all.
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Nanette C. (Sarasota, FL)
Gripping story of redemption in a world in which animal life nears extinction
In this time of coronavirus isolation, reading would seem the perfect antidote to our boredom and worries. And yet I've found myself lacking the concentration required as I tried various books on my "to read" pile. Until, that is, I came to "Migrations" by Charlotte McConaghy.
Franny, our protagonist, tells her story of a world in which wildlife is rapidly disappearing. "Once," she says, "When the animals were going, really and truly and not just in warnings of dark futures but now, in mass extinctions we could see and feel, I decided to follow a bird over an ocean." And so began her quest to follow the arctic terns as they traveled from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The difficulty was that she had to find a vessel to take her on this journey. When she met the crew of a fishing boat named the Saghani (the Raven), it felt like fate. But it was only by appealing to their own self-interest that Franny persuaded the reluctant captain and crew to accept her and to allow the birds to dictate the boat's course.
As the novel unfolds, McConaghy takes us back and forth between the harrowing search for the terns and Franny's tormented past. The captain and crew of the Saghani are interesting characters as well with their own stories to tell.
McConaghy's writing is lyrical, yet the story is filled with action that will make your heart pound. Your heart will also break as you piece together what drives Franny to follow the terns. "Migrations" is a unique story that will keep you engaged in these difficult times and beyond.
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SH
Eerie story
I found this book drew me in. It has a beautiful theme of protecting the wild. And the connection to Franny's "wildness" is well written. I had difficulty relating to the characters personalities and actions, however. I cannot think of any friends with whom I will share this book. It just seemed so surreal.
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Djcminor
Wanderer
I received an advance copy of Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy, and I am delighted to have been chosen to be among the first readers. Caroline Bleeke, Senior Editor, Flatiron Books, wrote a note to readers at the beginning of the book. She says, “When Migrations slipped unobtrusively into my inbox, the pitch was so enthralling that I read the first sentence and that was so mesmerizing that I read the first chapter, and, before I knew it, I was convinced that if I didn’t publish this novel, I would never love another book again.” That’s high praise from someone who obviously reads a great many books. Bleeke goes on to record that “the experience of first reading Migrations was galvanizing.”
Occasionally, if I read such high praise for a book or a movie, I am immediately skeptical and wonder if the hype is deserved. In the case of Migrations, I would agree with Bleeke. The first two lines of Migrations follow here: “The animals are dying. Soon we will be alone here.” Since we are in the midst of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, those lines are wounding. The news constantly reminds us of how many people have died from the virus as well as the climbing numbers of those catching the virus. Instead of people’s deaths, we see animals dying; however, if animals die, how much time is left for humans as well?
Set in the future, Migrations takes readers along with wanderer Franny Stone as she tracks the migration of terns in the Arctic Circle. Her goal is to be allowed on board the Saghani, a fishing vessel, so that she can follow the terns she has banded. Franny must prove herself worthy to be aboard the ship and must work just as the other members of the crew do to pull her weight.
Franny shares a tiny room with the only other female onboard the ship, Lea, who is none too happy to share her quarters with Franny. Other crew members include Basil, Malachai, Daeshim, Anik, and the Skipper Ennis. Anik teaches Franny how to tie all the knots necessary for working on the ship and the reason for each one. Her fingers bleed from the constant tying of the harsh ropes, but she stays at her task as Anik quizzes her on each knot’s use.
To understand a bit about Franny and her quest, readers need some backstory. Born to Irish folk who had migrated to Australia, Franny and her mother, the husband and father long gone, reverse the migration and return to Ireland, years after their first ancestors landed in Australia. When Franny was ten, she decided to run away with a boy she met by the sea. She went with him and his family to the West Coast of Ireland, some distance from her home.
Franny realizes she needs to return home, and she starts walking, but the backpack she carries is full of books. She begins leaving them along the way to lighten her load. A kindly woman pays for a bus ticket and Franny returns to her home, but her mother is gone, vanished. Her mother has told Franny often enough that if Franny abandons her the way everyone else in her life has done, that will be the end. And now, Franny is both motherless and fatherless. Social services discover her grandmother in Australia and send her to the grandmother.
Franny is full of secrets which haunt her even as she works so hard on the ship that she falls into a deep sleep most nights. Occasionally, she has night terrors and wakes only to find sleep elusive. She writes letters which obviously go unsent.
In this future when animals are going extinct, Franny Stone searches for meaning and a hope for the future. McConaghy writes with power. This sample from a storm in the North Atlantic highlights the strength of her prose: “The Saghani is barely holding anchor in the gale-force winds and I can see ten-foot waves crashing onto the deck. It will be slippery as hell down there, the simplest thing in the world to be washed overboard.”
After Franny is attacked by a man when the ship is in port, Ennis rescues her. The rawness of the encounter and the danger Franny faces makes readers’ hearts race. After she is safe with Ennis, “we run, an adrenaline-fueled blur, feet slapping on boards and low voices giving urgent commands. I blink and I’m on the boat and the guys are working like madmen to get it moving.” Ennis reassures her, “You’re not alone, love. Be easy. You’re not alone.”
But that’s what Franny fights all the way through the story, being alone in her own head and trying to make connections.
Charlotte McConaghy, living in Sydney, Australia, is a screenwriter who has also published eight books. Migrations is her first book published in the US. Learn more from her Web site.
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Jane C. (Whiting, NJ)
Not What I Expected
Migrations left me feeling let down and with more questions than answers. I did not connect with Franny, the narrator and thought she was unreliable, as in her remarks to others about her parents. The reason for Franny's wanderlust was never made apparent, even implicitly. She had found love with Niall and even with Ennis Malone. Even Niall's mother, Penny, accepted Franny and was willing to help her. What became of Ennis and his crew? These folks were too integral to the plot to just fade away. Also, the uneven way the backstory was brought in kept bouncing me out of the story--when did this happen, now? And, why bring in the father exactly at the end of the story? What did he have to do with anything except possibly in a minute way by his absence. I enjoyed Niall and Ennis and wished for a better way to have their story told.
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