Wild Dark Shore is Australian author Charlotte McConaghy’s third novel.
Like its predecessors Migrations and Once There Were Wolves, the story features unforgettable characters, breathtaking natural wonders, and complex and intense emotions.
Set in fictional Shearwater Island near Antarctica, the story introduces us to the Salt family, Dominic and his three children Raff, Fen and Orly.
They are the last inhabitants on the island that is increasingly threatened by the rising sea levels.
With all the scientists leaving, the Salts are left to care for the world’s largest seed bank housed on the island.
But the abandoned research stations, huts, vaults and tunnels whisper their secrets, untold stories as dark as the lurking shadows.
Then we meet Rowan, who is mysteriously washed ashore in a storm.
She brings profound changes to the lives of the Salts, who have long suffered from isolation, loneliness and the haunting voices of the island’s violent past.
In turn, the Salt family opens Rowan’s eyes to something she has never dared imagine, something beautiful but fragile, daunting yet worth all she has to pursue and protect.
But can she leave behind the tragedies of her life?
The story uses both first-person and third-person narratives and delves deeply into the hearts and minds of the five main characters.
Both Raff and Fen struggle as teenagers as they try to balance their hopes and aspirations for the future against their responsibilities as a family.
And Orly, though only nine years old, has a passion for Mother Nature and all her plants.
It is he who introduces us to some of the world’s most amazing seeds and their peculiar behaviours, but we also glimpse his vulnerabilities and fears.
Rowan is at once courageous, determined, fierce and horribly traumatised by her losses.
Through her eyes, we see the impact of climate change on everyday lives and why our present and future generations may feel dismayed and even despair in the face of unthinkable adversities.
But Dominic is perhaps the most impressive character, a man with few words and much action who loves deeply and relentlessly.
His devotion to his children is unwavering and heartwrenching, especially when the life known to them is coming to an end.
It is refreshing to see fatherhood as a theme being explored so deftly and tenderly in this story.
Not just the difficult choices a man makes to protect his loved ones, but also the steps he takes to prepare them for the unknown future.
Even more important is what he learns from and with them while cherishing being part of their life.
It is equally invigorating how we see the impact of the climate crisis on humanity and wildlife without having a work of climate fiction shoved in our face.
As much as we are warned that “everything will burn or drown or starve, including us”, there is also hope and optimism that our decisions and actions will make a difference in this hostile world.
