Migrations
A Novel
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4.3 • 350 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
* INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER *
Amazon Editors' Pick for Best Book of the Year in Fiction
"Visceral and haunting" (New York Times Book Review) · "Hopeful" (Washington Post) · "Powerful" (Los Angeles Times) · "Thrilling" (TIME) · "Tantalizingly beautiful" (Elle) · "Suspenseful, atmospheric" (Vogue) · "Aching and poignant" (Guardian) · "Gripping" (The Economist)
Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool—a passionate love affair, an absent family, a devastating crime—it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. When Franny's dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?
Epic and intimate, heartbreaking and galvanizing, Charlotte McConaghy's Migrations is an ode to a disappearing world and a breathtaking page-turner about the possibility of hope against all odds.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Young adult novelist McConaghy (the Chronicles of Kaya series) makes her adult debut with the clunky chronicle of Franny Stone, a troubled woman who follows a flock of endangered Arctic terns on what is believed to be their final migration home. Franny's mother, who vanished when Franny was seven, warned her that women in their family are unable to resist the urge to wander. While working at a university in Galway, she meets ornithologist Niall Lynch, who immediately declares they'll spend their lives together, and they implausibly marry. Unfortunately, Franny's overwhelming desire to travel, her sorrow over their stillborn daughter, and a sleepwalking episode in which she chokes Niall drive a wedge in their marriage. Niall had always longed to track the terns, and Franny does so by convincing a fishing boat captain that she can help him find fish in exchange for transportation. Despite the ragtag crew's initial distrust of Franny, she becomes part of the team. McConaghy divulges more about Franny's dark past as she writes Niall letters and reflects on their relationship, as well as the true nature of her quest. While McConaghy's plot is engaging, her writing can be a heavy-handed distraction ("out flies my soul, sucked through my pores"). Lovers of ornithology and intense drama will find what they need in this uneven tale.
Customer Reviews
Heart wrenching
4.5 stars - this one has me reeling. Truly an emotional roller coaster that I felt in every part of my heart. An incredibly well written story with such vivid details. The author beautifully spins the tale of a woman deep in the thralls of grief and depression intertwined with the human impact on the environment. This book challenged me to feel so many different things and was consistently thought provoking - an attribute in writing I very seldomly find in a fiction novel. Heart wrenching in all the right ways. I’ll be thinking about this one for quite some time.
Breathtaking story of love and loss
Could barely put it down!
Beautiful and deeply resonant
Such unusual observations that are yet familiar at the same time. My favorite book in years.