Title: The Last Migration
Author: Charlotte McConaghy
Published: August 4th 2020
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages: 272
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 4 stars
For readers of Station Eleven and Everything I Never Told You, a debut novel set on the brink of catastrophe, as a young woman chases the world’s last birds – and her own final chance for redemption.A dark past. An impossible journey. The will to survive.
How far you would you go for love? Franny Stone is determined to go to the end of the earth, following the last of the Arctic terns on what may be their final migration to Antarctica.
As animal populations plummet and commercial fishing faces prohibition, Franny talks her way onto one of the few remaining boats heading south. But as she and the eccentric crew travel further from shore and safety, the dark secrets of Franny’s life begin to unspool. A daughter’s yearning search for her mother. An impulsive, passionate marriage. A shocking crime. Haunted by love and violence, Franny must confront what she is really running towards – and from.
The Last Migration is a wild, gripping and deeply moving novel from a brilliant young writer. From the west coast of Ireland to Australia and remote Greenland, through crashing Atlantic swells to the bottom of the world, this is an ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened, and an epic story of the possibility of hope against all odds.
Review:
‘I’m not sure when I first started dreaming of the passage, or when it became as much a part of me as the instinct for breath. It’s been a long time, or feels like it. I haven’t cultivated this myself; it swallowed me whole. At first an impossible, foolish fantasy: the notion of securing a place on a fishing vessel and having its captain carry me as far south as he is able; the idea of following the migration of a bird, the longest natural migration of any living creature.’
The Last Migration is a startling piece of literary fiction from debut novelist Charlotte McConaghy. This novel quietly makes you stand to attention with its themes of love, death, loss, extinction, hope and atonement. The Last Migration is a powerful ode to the state of the planet, with a particular focus on our animal world. It will simultaneously break your heart and encourage you to take a stand against climate change.
The Last Migration sees Franny Stone, a woman consumed by a will to follow the last migration of the final lasting group of arctic terns on their journey to Antarctica. Franny is aware of the state of her distressed planet. With earth’s ecosystems in peril, from devastated forests, restricted fishing and the loss of many animals to the point of extinction, Franny boards a boat bound for the deep southern region of Antarctica. In an effort to witness the final act of migration of the last remaining terns, Franny’s journey is consumed by danger, but also personal revelations. As the perilous adventure continues, secrets of the past come to the forefront, which is defined by loss, desire, crime and violence. The past and present collide in this incredible journey of hope and healing.
Sydney based writer Charlotte McConaghy used her love of nature to begin her first novel. From the opening page, this personal passion is very much evident in McConaghy’s title. I was particularly struck by the author’s parting words in the Acknowledgements section of The Last Migration.
“Lastly I want to acknowledge the wild creatures of this earth and say that this book was written for you, out of sadness and regret for those that have been wiped out and for love of those who remain. I truly, deeply hope that the world without animals depicted in The Last Migration does not come to pass.”
This very personal statement moved me in a way that I did not expect. The beauty of this novel rests in its ability to give a voice to the animals and environmental ecosystems of the world that are being destroyed to the point of extinction. The Last Migration is a piece of speculative fiction, but it is also a cautionary tale.
Divided into three parts, The Last Migration relays a number of backstories that each reveal a hidden history of love, sacrifice, survival, tragedy, personal mistakes, passion, determination and courage. These are confronting acts and revealing personal histories, but there are glimmers of hope, as well as restitution evident in this affective composition. I was particularly taken with fierce Franny, a protagonist who is both brave and vulnerable in equal parts. I am sure many readers will be taken with Franny and her journey of redemption. Franny, along the periphery cast are clearly characterised by McConaghy, a talented emerging writer who manages to bring an eclectic group of protagonists together on the pages of her first novel.
The highlight of The Last Migration is the strong imagery present in this novel, which compliments the various setting and location interchanges within this book’s progressive journey. From the cold arctic winds, to the stormy seas and the majestic terns featured in the novel, McConaghy’s words are vivid and poetic, striking right at the heart. There are undertones of sorrow, regret and melancholy that follows this novel. I felt the pure sadness of this novel during the animal and environmental based sequences. The lyrical writing of Charlotte McConaghy really does cut right at the heart.
Through it all, although The Last Migration is a tale that gives us a clear warning about the possibility of life without wild animals, beautiful forest environments and even the presence of seagull, but there is hope underlining this unique climate based story. The Last Migration is a story for all, to be embraced and considered across a worldwide forum.
‘A life’s impact can be measured by what it gives and what it leaves behind, but it can also be measured by what it steals from the world.’
The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy was published on August 4th 2020 by Penguin Books Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Last Migration, Charlotte McConaghy, visit here.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
