Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Year published: 2025
Category: Adult fiction (mystery)
Pages: 320
Rating: 4 out of 5
Location: (my 2025 Google Reading map): Antarctica-ish
Summary: A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.
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. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.
Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.
But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all 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.
Review: I think the seed bank is such an interesting and great thing, so that aspect of this novel is what convinced me to read it. The story, the mystery, and the characters are what kept me going.
At some point during this story, each character is suspect. Are they who they say they are? Are they lying? What secrets are they keeping? What is their agenda? Until the last 20 pages or so, I wasn't totally sure who was pure, who had done wrong, or if they all had.
This novel isn't a typical mystery. There are no detectives, no murder (well, not exactly), and no clues to follow. Instead, there is a family on a desolate island that once thrived. They have become one with the land, the flora and fauna, and the animals. They love this island and their lives, but they also need to leave. This is a climate story. A love letter to the environment.
It is also a study in family, heartbreak, and unconditional love. And what happens when an outsider comes into their sphere? As most of you know, I love a good Afterword, and this novel has one. The author explains her inspiration for the story and, most importantly, the place (based on a real island between Tasmania and Antarctica).
Challenges for which this counts:
- Cover Lovers--a word that is often used to describe the weather (wild)
- Literary Escapes--Antarctica. I will count Macquarie Island, the inspiration for the novel
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