I read Migrations not long after I finished Wind Dark Shore. I was still amazed by how clearly Charlotte McConaghy wrote about nature in a way that made me feel. I was curious about her earlier work and wanted to see how she approached eco fiction previously. What I found was a story that is both intimate and sweeping. It is about the near future climate and one woman’s desire to escape her past.
The novel follows Franny Stone, a restless and damaged woman who joins a fishing vessel in order to track the last remaining Arctic terns on their migration from Greenland to Antarctica. The world around her is collapsing under rapid species extinction, and the terns may be the final birds left to make the journey. The plot moves between the present voyage and fragments of Franny’s earlier life, slowly revealing why she is so driven to follow these birds and what she is trying to escape. The structure creates a sense of drifting, much like Franny herself, and the gradual uncovering of her history becomes the emotional spine of the book.
Several themes stand out. The most obvious is climate grief, which McConaghy handles with a quiet sadness rather than heavy handed messaging. There is also a strong focus on identity, belonging, and the ache of being someone who never quite settles. Franny’s internal struggle is as central as the environmental collapse around her. The novel also explores the idea of chosen family through the crew of the Saghani, who become an unexpected source of connection for her. Their presence brings warmth to an otherwise bleak world.
There is a lot that worked for me. McConaghy’s prose is beautiful without feeling overwrought, and her descriptions of cold seas, empty skies, and the fragile beauty of the natural world are incredibly vivid. I could almost feel the wind and the salt on my skin. The emotional tension builds slowly, with small clues scattered throughout the narrative that eventually come together in a way that feels earned. I also appreciated how she portrays Franny as both difficult and deeply human. Her grief, her impulsiveness, and her longing make her frustrating at times, yet I found myself caring for her more than I expected.
There were moments that felt uneven. The shifts in setting and time can be disorienting, and although this mirrors Franny’s own fractured state, it occasionally disrupted the flow. Some aspects of her past felt predictable, and I struggled with the portrayal of her marriage, particularly the lack of realistic support from her husband. I also wished for more scenes from her earlier life to deepen the emotional impact of the final revelations.
Readers who enjoy character driven stories, climate themed fiction, and novels that blend melancholy with beauty will likely find a lot to appreciate here. It is not a fast-paced book, but it rewards patience with moments of real emotional weight.
In the end, Migrations left me feeling both heartbroken and strangely hopeful. It is a story about loss, but also about the stubborn persistence of life and the small connections that keep us moving forward. I am glad I spent time with it.
Migrations – Exclusive Books Online
You may also enjoy Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
@roelia_reads A short #bookreview of Migrations by #charlottemcconaghy (full review on my bookblog) #roeliareads #ecofiction
