A Novel Set on a Remote Island
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
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.
A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 35 minutes
- Author;: Charlotte McConaghy
- Narrators: Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, Steve West
- Release Date: March 04, 2025
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Climate change serves as the subtle backdrop in this novel, without overshadowing the core narrative.
The story unfolds on a remote island situated between Australia and Antarctica—a setting that immediately piqued my curiosity. Currently, the isolated place is home to a family of four and a mysterious woman who arrives following a shipwreck.
Characters and Plot
The narrative centers on Dominic Salt and his children, who are preparing to leave the sinking island, where they have been caring for and protecting the world’s necessary and rarest seeds. Amidst a fierce storm, they discover Rowan, a half-drowned woman, lying on the shore. As they cautiously welcome her into their lives, past wounds begin to heal. But the fragile bonds of trust are tested when Rowan unravels Dominic’s secrets.
Writing Style and Narration
While the writing style initially felt unfamiliar, I quickly grew comfortable with it. The book is told from multiple perspectives of each character, and each voice is distinctly read by excellent narrators. The author, McConaghy, skillfully blends elements of mystery, survival, romance, and global warming, as he presents an unforgettable slow-burn story. For those who aren’t fans of slow burns, I would definitely recommend the audiobook. The various narrators, Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, and Steve West, do an excellent job of bringing this story to life and manage to move it along and hold my interest.
Themes and Final Thoughts
This novel explores human emotions against the backdrop of a changing world. The intricate character dynamics make it an audiobook worth considering. Whether you prefer reading or listening, this promises to captivate and engage.
As a big plus, the author kept me guessing about the ending until the very last.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced #audiobook. All opinions are my own.
What Others Are Saying
“[A] terrific thriller…McConaghy keeps readers guessing…McConaghy writes about both nature and human frailty with eloquent generosity. Readers won’t want to leave behind the imagined world of pain and beauty that McConaghy has conjured.”—Kirkus (starred review)
“Sub-Antarctic noir meets a love letter to the rapidly disappearing wild world in McConaghy’s latest…As lush as it is taut with tension, this novel is filled with both the joys and ravages of nature.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Urgent…McConaghy ratchets up the tension as the characters’ paranoia and mutual suspicion increases and their motives are revealed…McConaghy blends entertainment with a sobering message about conservation and the impacts of geographic isolation.”—Publishers Weekly
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charlotte McConaghy is an Australian author living in Sydney with her partner and two children.
She has a Masters Degree in Screenwriting from the Australian Film Television and Radio School, and a number of published SFF works in Australia.
Her novel MIGRATIONS was her first foray into adult literary fiction, published in North America by Flatiron Books, and by Penguin Random House in Australia and the UK. It is being translated into over 25 languages, and adapted to film.
ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES, the New York Times Bestseller, is a romantic mystery about a biologist charged with reintroducing wolves to the Scottish Highlands in order to rewild the landscape and bring a forest back to life.
Her forthcoming third novel WILD DARK SHORE continues her love of romantic thrillers set in beautiful, remote places, and explores not only what it takes to raise children in a collapsing world, but the impossible choices we make to protect those we love.
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