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.
Read from January 2, 2021 to January 4, 2021
Literary fiction is not a genre that I read much of as I usually prefer plot-driven stories over character-driven stories. However, this year I want to continue reading books from genres I don’t normally gravitate towards, and my best friend got me this book for Christmas, so it worked out. And yes, I’m painfully aware of the fact that I just posted about how long my TBR list is and how I need to work on making it less long, and I know that this book is not on that list. Look at me, already off to a great start.
I don’t think I can express how much I love this book. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read something that has impacted me this profoundly. This book is beautifully melancholic; I cry very easily so maybe this doesn’t mean much, but I had to put this book down so many times because I got so overwhelmed with emotions and couldn’t read through my tears. This book is not easy to get through, and I was constantly reflecting on what I just read, often with a heavy feeling in my chest.
This book is about many things, but a lot of it focuses on the extinction crisis. It’s a harsh reality that humans have directly caused the extinction of so many species, and there is no doubt that we will continue to do so in the future if we continue our current way of life. The idea of animals becoming extinct is profoundly disturbing, and it feels so incredibly wrong that we have the power to take so much life. While it seems like the human population has grown exponentially, wildlife continues to suffer. Admittedly, this is an issue that I have been aware of, but not always conscious of, and I’m glad that this book has reminded me of it. The passion that some of the characters in this book have for life other than human life, and the hate some harbour towards their own species, bleeds through the pages. After reading this, I can’t help but hate us for the destruction we have caused to our planet. This book reminds its readers of something they are most likely already aware of, but it does so in a direct, powerful way.
He said our lives mean nothing except as a cycle of regeneration, that we are incomprehensibly brief sparks, just as the animals are, that we are no more important than they are, no more worthy of life than any living creature. That in our self-importance, in our search for meaning, we have forgotten how to share the planet that gave us life.
Franny Stone, our protagonist, is determined to follow the last Arctic terns on their migration to Antarctica, and she’s willing to risk a lot to do so. I couldn’t always relate to Franny, but I still cared so much for her. She loves fiercely and recklessly, and I was captivated by her fervour, but she is also a wanderer. She has this intense will to be free, but she struggles with leaving those she loves behind. She has so many admirable qualities, but she is deeply uncomfortable with who she is and what she feels and she’s reluctant to accept herself. There is something that happened in her past, and throughout this book she deals with this immense burden of grief and the need to punish herself. As much as this book is about the environment, it is also about loss and the constant search for meaning in life.
I lie in the sea and feel more lost than ever, because I’m not meant to be homesick, I’m not meant to long for the things I have always been so desperate to leave.
It isn’t fair to be the kind of creature who is able to love but unable to stay.
In order to follow the migration of these birds, Franny travels on a fishing boat with its crew. When reading from the perspective of Franny, it’s easy to criticize the crewmates and their choices initially, but it becomes harder and harder not to become attached to them and care for them. Each crewmate is distinctive and dealing with their own inner conflict, but they all have so much to offer; they are all written so well.
I’m surprised by how invested in the plot I was. I don’t want to describe it too much, but it switches between the past and present, and it does so in a very compelling way. The placement of each scene is impactful, and nothing feels out of place. While it’s not that difficult to piece together what has happened and what will happen, this book is still gripping and heart-wrenching. It is a truly unique and touching story and one that I will never forget.
Even if the idea of climate change scares you and makes you uncomfortable, I would highly recommend reading this book. Of course, this book offers more than just a critique on the state of our planet and what it will become, but this is the aspect of it that impacted me the most. I sometimes fear that I am going to leave this world having not contributed anything meaningful, only have consumed and produced waste. However, this book offers a message of hope: as long as there is still life, we can do something to save it, to nurture it. I know that I haven’t done enough in the past, but I am determined to do more now. 5 Arctic terns / 5
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