If someone suggested that I read a book about seventh-century Irish monks trying to set up a new life on a remote island, I would usually politely decline. It is a testament to Emma Donoghue that I didn’t only read this book, I also, surprisingly, enjoyed it.

In Haven, Irish monk Artt has a dream of starting a church on a remote island, with fellow monks Cormac and Trian. Interpreting this dream as a message from God, Artt convinces the two monks to hop on a boat, with minimal supplies, and head out into the unknown. They end up on an unfriendly, barren island, full of birds, and things quickly go downhill. As Artt becomes increasingly unreasonable, Cormac and Trian begin to question their choice.

Again, a book such as Haven is not my usual cup of tea. But I was amazed at how quickly I was enraptured by Donoghue’s beautiful writing. She quickly creates an intriguing world with these three interesting characters. Artt is clearly a chancer, desperate for some kind of power. Cormac is older, and full of stories regarding saints. And Trian, abandoned to the monastery by his parents as a teenager, and is still in the throes of curious, submissive youth. The monks’ dynamic is tense and interesting; it’s a great commentary of how people will essentially put themselves in great peril for their faith.

To say that not much happens in this book is not true, but the majority of the novel takes place on the island. It only takes a matter of pages before we’re “off to the races” with our three main characters. As a reader, I felt as though I was part of this little collective. And as a lapsed catholic, some of the somewhat absurd rituals were all-too-familiar.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I truly enjoyed Haven. I’m so glad I read it, and if you’re a fan of Donoghue’s writing, I suggest you pick up a copy. It’s a quiet novel, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.

Emma Donoghue knows how to turn a sentence into a work of art. I love her writing, and even more so when she tackles something as distant as a 6th century Irish island filled with exactly 3 monks. Completely up my alley. A devout and living "saint", Artt has had a vision that he must form a new sanctuary on a new land that God will reveal to him. He chooses 2 monks to attend him via boat and help locate this remote land: Cormac, an older useful monk whose knowledge of plants and gardening will keep them alive, and young Trian, whose knowledge of the sea on their journey will be needed for their self preservation. This kind of story--the one where a sea voyage will end up on a journey of self discovery--is a part of Irish literature I was delighted to discover is called "Immramm". Some of our best stories are made up of these self discoveries on sea voyages. However, Donoghue is scathing in her critique of this "hero" on his journey. Artt's inability to remain bodily grounded is cringeworthy, in direct contrast to his brother monks struggles on the remote island, as he routinely shuns the body's needs as if body and soul were always divided in a binary. This story will strike a tone with anyone who grew up in a fundamentalist religious upbringing; an allegory for our times. Highly recommended.

Reading books you intend to thoughtfully review is a very different experience than reading for pleasure. If I had been reading for pleasure, just lounging through the pages, enjoying my ride, I might not have said Haven by Emma Donoghue had that much going on. No real sense of drama, no obvious narrative arc. But reading it to review it forced me to pay attention to the subtle ways the author delivers a message that is very relevant and timely.
The book is set in 600s AD Ireland in a real place, an island of the coast of Ireland called Skellig Michael. The premise is that this is the destination of a monk who leads two followers to start a new monastery there, where they can be far from corrupting influences and focus on the glory of God. This outpost of God is incredibly remote with not much in the way of existing support for the monks, and they take very little with them. The obvious story is about how they are going to survive there, in this windswept, desolate place..
I was interested in whether Skellig Michael was a real place and so did some searching, not realizing at that point that the author talks about this in her afterward. It turns out that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made famous by the filming of the most recent Star Wars movies - it's where Luke Skywalker has chosen to isolate himself. And since the filming of the movies, the island has had so many visitors that damage has been done to the historical site there - the place really was the site of a 600 AD group of monks who set up a monastery there.
The author's descriptions of the site, its scenery and wildlife are one of the highlights of the book and the underlying messages about man's attitude and impact on the environment are extremely timely. The leader of the group, Artt, has an attitude toward the environment and wildlife that was very typical of the time and continued so until very recently - that God had put everything there for the service of man and therefore, anything man decided to do with it was justified. And that attitude enabled a lot of environmental devastation (and in some ways, still does.)
The other theme that keeps this from being slotted as simple historical fiction is the idea of the nature of leaders - how we choose them and why we trust them -- and for how long we chose to trust them. In current times as well, we are all faced with questions of the trustworthiness of our leaders - and when and how we decide to cut bait, if ever. How long do you stay loyal to a leader you no longer agree with? And how awful is the point of realization when figure out you can't?
Because of these two themes underlying the story, this book is transformed from being the simple story it appears on the surface and becomes a powerful commentary on how we interact with the environment and people around us and the responsibility we we have to both. Well done, Emma Donoghue.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Inspired by a dream, monks Artt, Cormac an Trian travel by boat to a skellig off the Irish coast to found a new monastery. Each brings their own talents which compliment each other. Although there is a bit of a twist at the end, this is the story of how hard life was for these people. An excellent read for lovers of history, well researched and well written.
#Haven#NetGalley

Haven is an ominous survival novel by the same author that brought you Room and The Wonder. It follows Prior Artt who receives a vision from God guiding him to start a monastic retreat on an Irish island. Accompanied by two monks, Cormac and Trian, the trio touches down on Skellig Michael, a sharp and jagged peak, like a finger pointed towards the heavens. But building a holy settlement on an inhospitable isle proves to be exceedingly challenging. And as time goes on and the hardships pile up, the monks’ very existence grows increasingly tenuous.

Haven is a tense and unsettling tale that left me haunted. I had mixed feeling about it throughout, alternating between boredom at the monotony of the monks’ daily lives and a prickling anxiety that reached a fever pitch towards the novel’s conclusion. It’s worth noting that I struggled with the overly graphic descriptions of animal hunting which made my stomach churn. I also got the impression that there was an element of thinly veiled criticism of the Catholic Church and possibly religion as a whole. While I was not personally offended by this, it may irk other readers.

In less capable hands I’m not convinced that the story would have worked, but Emma Donoghue is queen of her craft and pulls it off with aplomb. This book is truly resplendent when it’s unearthing the secret psychological yearnings of the characters and their raw and captivating inner monologues. Like Icarus who flies too close to the sun, Haven highlights the human foible of hubris in all its glory. And how the relentless pursuit of perfection is inevitably doomed to unhappiness.

Haven is a gritty and thought provoking novel that continues to live on in my head rent free. Readers who enjoy edgy ‘survival of the fittest’ historical fiction- think an episode of ‘Lost’ on a much smaller scale-will lap this right up.

Brilliant! The prose is perfect and the story is so touching! I recommend reading it to everyone who love beautiful story!

This was a strange, strange book. I couldn't put it down, but wow it took me on a journey. Haven is the story of three monks who, in 600AD, decided to journey away from the sinful world of man to live in, essentially, exile, in service to God.

Due to my own background, there were parts of this story that were really triggering for me, but that isn't really the fault of the story. However, the sheer bleakness of the tale and the anger I felt rising at one particular character really surprised me with the force of it (and if you read the author's note at the end of the book, you'll appreciate the pun in that sentence).

I would recommend this book, but similar to Room, approach it with caution. It definitely took me on a rough journey of my own.

While this book was not at all what I expected, I found it to be well written and to have excellent character development. For the most part, there are only three characters in the book and it takes place at one main location. It was descriptive in a way that I could really picture the surroundings and get a feel for the monks personalities. However, I feel that the story was slow to get moving. I lacked interest in the first half of the book. I mostly kept reading for two reasons - I don't like not finishing books and I wanted to see what would happen with the monks. Without giving anything away, the ending pleased me very much. I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC from NetGalley.

I've read a handful of Emma Donoghue's books and am always surprised and intrigued by what she'll write next. This one was difficult to read not because it was boring or uninteresting to me, but because it is a sad and brutal story that doesn't pull any punches. Just when you think things can't get worse for the characters, they do, every time. However, I think the character work here is truly expert, as Donoghue's books always are. My investment in them kept me turning the pages, and the familial relationship that forms between Cormac and Trian and leads us to the climax is something that will definitely stick with me. I would recommend this book to readers who like survival stories, books with a slow build, and titles that contemplate religion and its limits.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I read HAVEN by Emma Donoghue and really enjoyed pieces of it. This literary fiction book is set to be available everywhere on August 23, 2022. I really enjoyed pieces of it, and ended up eating it 3.5/5 stars!

In 600s Ireland, a trio of monks set out to find the last place on God’s creation untouched by men. The come upon an island, today called Skellig Michael, and settle there. I did some research, and this is all was used in the Star Wars films! Anyways, thousands of years before Star Wars, the men struggle to make a life for themselves on the island. Donoghue uses their isolation to explore the internal and external forces that influence a person.

Trigger warning for graphic violence and sex-based discrimination. I thought the writing in this book was beautiful. The settings were so well done I felt like I was there. The characters were interesting and dimensional. I wanted more in terms of action, but that’s probably my preference. Something I do think could have been more developed is the twist at the end. It popped up in the last few dozen pages but I think it could have been explored more. I would have also liked more from the stories of saints. They broke up the survival narrative, but I think they could have been an opportunity to add more backstory about the characters.

I want to thank @netgalley for the opportunity to review the ARC of Haven by Emma Donoghue. This is the third book of hers that k have read and have loved every one. I like that each book I have read is completely different from each other. Haven is the story of three monks in Ireland who decide to remove themselves from society to live on an unsettled Island called Skellig Michael. This is a book of survival and religion and what happens when you mix the two. Donoghue creates a mood of suspense as the health and safety of the monks are tested. If also explores the relationships and choices people make when people are confronted with difficult situations. This is a book about human nature.

This unfortunately did not do it for me. I found myself skimming most of it, unable to care what happened to the characters.

In Emma Donoghue’s Haven, three men set out on a journey in the seventh century in order to leave the sinful world behind and devote their lives to Christ on an uninhabited island seen in one of their dreams. Artt, a scholar and priest, becomes the Prior of the other two men; monks Cormac and Trian. They settle on Skellig Michael off the coast of Ireland which is only inhabited by thousands of birds and consists of very rocky terrain.

I have read a few of Donoghue’s works and each one is vastly different than the last. Haven is no exception. While Haven is a work of historical fiction, it is unique in its subject. It is incredibly detailed and beautiful in prose. At first I did find some of the vocabulary frustrating, such as the numerous tools, plants, species of birds and descriptions of the skellig. However, this is a time in history I am not overly well versed and a little additional and quick internet search on Skellig Michael was very helpful in allowing Donoghue’s descriptions paint the story vividly.

The amount of research and creativity needed for this novel should not go unnoticed. Haven is a slow paced, detail immersive and methodical read. It has the ability to elicit feelings of frustration in response to the hypocrisy and oppressiveness of religious control. I do feel that it is not for everyone. At times, the pacing is a little too slow. But when it finds its way into the hands of the reader it is intended for, it will be appreciated and understood.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.

I don't know how Emma Donoghue imagines these worlds and then draws the reader right, but she has done it again! I could not stop reading Haven. How does she make us so invested in her characters and their survival? This novel is unlike any other I have read. As a Catholic I found the monk's spirituality and dedication to hardship and sacrifice amazing. I think this novel will reach a very wide audience. I know my book club will love reading and discussing this book.

This was a pretty fascinating story and so well written. In less capable hands, it would have been a chore to read, but I found myself very invested in it. Yes, there were a lot of descriptions of being in the boat, and growing/hunting for food, and copying manuscripts, but it was somehow super engaging for a book about three monks in 600AD heading out to form a monastery on a secluded island off the coast of Ireland.

Artt recruits Cormac and Trian to form a small brotherhood from an abbot—Cluain Mhic Nóis. They head out in a boat to the island of Skella Michael off the coast of Ireland. to start their own 3-person monastery with Artt in charge. It a harrowing journey and they arrive without many provisions, as Artt decided they didn't need to bring much and that god would provide.

It...devolves as they run out of food, wood, oil, and their meager supplies and as Artt gets even more judgmental and authoritative. But...I loved the camaraderie between Cormac and Trian, without that the book might have been a chore to finish.

As others have mentioned, the author's notes on Skellig Michael are fascinating. I was honestly surprised I liked this as much as I did, but I really enjoyed it! Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

I like Emma Donoghue novels because they usually end well. Happily? Well, happier than most books, despite the tragic death of a sprightly spunky young lesbian, which has happened in her books twice. I don’t think I’ll go back & reread this one. The one thing I kept thinking about was the episode of Bob’s Burgers where Louise & Bob are obsessed with these kung-fu movies and Louise says, “There’s always a lot of lantern talk, you’ll get into it.” This book was all “lantern talk.”

Haven by Emma Donoghue is a great historical fiction that is unique, interesting, and something that was off the beaten path that I truly enjoyed.

I really liked the concept of the trio of Artt, Cormac, and Trian (all men of religious order) taking a bold and risky journey to an unsettled island (named Skellig Michael) in the 600s off of Ireland in order to build and found a holy site and place of worship.

Each have their own strengths, weaknesses, pasts, reasons for joining this often strange and conflicting path, and each interact with one another in different ways and depths.

The author depicts their journey from their departure and to their respective quests and goals once landing on the “new” site. Of course, it isn’t as simple as just landing and building and some of the thought processes and decisions made are not of the best choice and have consequences.

I love the slow churn of the narrative, pace, and plot. The author includes descriptions of the landscapes, surroundings, inner thoughts, and anecdotal stories of Saints and religious snippets that, I felt, gave the story an additional layer of complexity that I truly enjoyed.

The author added in a bit of suspense and mystery to be revealed towards the end, which was a nice touch.

I also enjoyed the Author’s note at the end that added a bit of inspiration and historical context to the book.

I really enjoyed this one and recommend it.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Little, Brown, and Company for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/23/22.

As a devoted fan of author, I truly loved the idea of three religious men’s journey to discover an island to build their sacred place! But honestly I have second thoughts about the entire execution which was flat, extra slow, a little boring. And big revelation about one of the character’s biggest secret didn’t properly fit in story progression.

It was short, quick read for me! I wish it could be great answer for my expectations to read another masterpiece created by the author.
I keep my hopes up for the next work of hers!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I have read several books by this author. This book was well written, but unfortunately I was bored and did not finish it. I'm sure it will find its audience. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Emma Donoghue is one of my favorites, so I was so excited to get an early release of her latest! I enjoyed this book! The story line was so different that it kept my attention throughout. The character list is very short, but I felt that gave her the time to really show us who each character is.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.