Books & Audiobooks
In Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy has written a riveting story that will appeal to lovers of a variety of genres. Shearwater Island, a tiny island not far from Antarctica, is based on the actual Macquarie Island, located in the subantarctic ocean. The landscape is raw, wild, menacing and at the same time, stunningly beautiful. The impact of global warming is decimating this island with raging storms and rising seawater. On the island is a recently decommissioned research station which holds a seed vault, loosely based on the real Svalbard Global Seed Vault, that contains seeds from every country in the world, the goal being that when the earth is destroyed by fire or flood, there will be ways for the earth’s flora and fauna to be regenerated.
On this island lives a family of four: Dominic, the grieving widowed father; Dominic’s oldest son, Raff; 17-year-old Fen; and 8-year-old Orly. The family has been on this patch of land for eight years and the children, with guidance from the research station staff, have come to see themselves as guardians of this land and the incredible array of plant species and animal life that abounds.
During a particularly wild storm, Fen discovers a woman, Rowan, being thrashed about in the waves. She manages to get the woman to shore and the family begins the slow process of bringing this stranger back to life. The arrival of Rowan brings to the surface the secrets that threaten to tear the small family apart. The communications system has been vandalized and time is running out for the survival of this island. Saving the seeds in the seed vault becomes of paramount importance but in doing so, secrets are revealed that imperil the salvaging process.
Throughout the story, we are witness to the incredible strength of love within this family and the desire to make themselves whole again, at whatever cost.
Wild Dark Shore is a page turner: part thriller, non-fiction, suspense, adventure, romance, apocalyptic and simply a very engaging read!