Shearwater was a small island not far from Antarctica, where a seed bank housed hundreds of thousands of the world's most precious seeds. The island only accommodated a few inhabitants - the Salt family, with Dominic at its head, and Raff (18), Fen (17) and Orly (9), his children - the last, as the island slowly succumbed to the sea. It was only weeks until the ship came to take them and the seeds to a safer place, when a ferocious storm hit Shearwater, bringing the island's destruction closer than ever. When Fen discovered a body washed up among the rocks, she hurried to retrieve it, expecting death, but the woman was alive, barely.

As the Salt family did all they could to bring Rowan back to life, her injuries bandaged, her pummeled body bruised, gradually, with constant rest, she recovered. As she came to know the family - Orly with his fascination of anything botanical, Raff and the anger he was fighting to control and Fen, who liked nothing more than spending her time by the shore with the seals - she knew Dominic wasn't telling her the whole truth. But then neither was she. As the island struggled for its existence, the race was on to retrieve the seeds for rehousing; danger was closing in on them all...

Wild Dark Shore is a phenomenal story by Aussie author Charlotte McConaghy, one I would have to say is my best read for a long time. The unique setting, the atmosphere, the mystery - all pulls together to present this outstanding piece of writing. It was easy to visualise; the hills, the seals at the shore, the cave, the dangerous rocky shoreline; the cold penetrated the bones - the verbal pictures were painted well. This is my first read by Charlotte McConaghy and I'll definitely be looking for more. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Random House AU for my digital ARC to read and review.

What an absolutely well written mystery at a perfect location.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the largest seed bank. Sea Levels are rising and now the island is with it’s last inhabitants - the salt family. During a terrible storm a woman washes up on shore – alive but very battered and bruised. Why did she arrive at Shearwater? That is the question on everyones lips.

I found this book addictive, the writing was superb. It is filled with many characters and everyone has a story. It was easy to follow along with all the characters and match everything up. I'm looking forward to reading more of Charlotte McConaghy in the future.

Thank you Penguin Random House Australia and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book for my honest book review.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Dominic Salt, sole parent to his three children, 18 year old Raf, 17 year old Fen and 9 year old Orly, is the caretaker of Shearwater, a tiny, remote island half way between Tasmania and Antarctica. They have lived on the island for eight years following the death of Dominic’s wife and mother of their children. With its huge populations of seabirds, penguins and seals the rocky shores were once a killing field for fur seal traders in the 19th century, but now the island is a research station and home to an important underground seed bank.

Due to climate change, sea levels are now rising, threatening to engulf the island. Violent storms are washing away the breeding grounds of the penguins and seals and seed bank is in danger of being swamped. The researchers have been recalled home and sabotage of the island’s power and communications systems have left the family cut off from help and the frozen seed bank to gradually warm. Dominic and the kids will also have to leave, in a few weeks on a ship sent to collect them. Now, all that’s left for them to do, is to pack a list of the seeds considered most important for the future of humanity, to transfer to the mainland when they leave.

During a wild storm, a woman called Rowan, is washed up on the island and rescued by Fen. As the family help her recover from her injuries, she begins to warm to each of them, especially young Orly with his enthusiastic and extensive knowledge of plants. Rowan has her own reasons for coming to the island to seek answers; answers that will uncover the dark secrets and the mystery the family have been keeping from her.

This beautifully written novel portrays a frightening vision of what extreme climate change is capable of doing to our world. Narrated by all five voices, showing how each of the family are bonded to the island, fearing for its future and the survival of its animals and fearful of their own future back in a rapidly collapsing world. Each of the family has already suffered grief and trauma, first from loss of their wife and mother, and then from traumatic events on the island. Rowan is also no stranger to grief and loss, having watched the house and garden she built herself in Australia’s Snowy Mountains, reduced to ashes by a rampaging bushfire.

The island is also an entity in its own right, atmospheric and ruggedly wild, one the children have grown up loving along with the eco-system it supports. They understand better than anyone the fragility and dependence of the relationship between humans, animals and plants that can so easily be disrupted, just as the relationships between Dominic and his children are complex and easily damaged. This gripping and thought-provoking tale of love and survival is both haunting and intense with an ending that may you leave you gasping.

‘She washes in with the storm, draped upon a tangle of driftwood.’

Dominic Salt and his three children are the final inhabitants on the remote island of Shearwater, a tiny island between Tasmania and Antarctica and home to the world’s largest seed bank, when an unconscious woman is washed ashore. The Salts are preparing for departure: the sea level is rising, and they are focussed on packing the seeds for transportation.

‘Surviving in remote places is all about setting up contingencies.’

Living on this remote, wild island has had an effect on each of the Salts: Dominic exists in the present but lives in the past; eighteen-year-old Raff is devasted by a loss; seventeen-year-old Fen finds an escape amongst the seals while nine-year-old Orly fears the loss of the natural world he loves.

And the mysterious woman? Her name is Rowan, and the Salts care for her. Why is Rowan on Shearwater? This is one of the mysteries which unfolds, as preparations for departure from Shearwater become more desperate.

What can I say, without spoiling this story? Ms McConaghy has written an atmospheric and engaging novel, one in which heartbreak, love, mystery, secrets and tragedy somehow augment each other in a powerfully effective way. While the natural world is an important part of this story, it was the complex and fragile relationships between individuals that captured my attention.

And the ending? I am still coming to terms with it.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

In my mind, it's the location that is the "star" of this book. A remote island, situated between Tasmania and Antarctica. It's been the location of the world's largest seed bank. But global warming and rising waters have the island under threat.
Dominic and his three children are the last inhabitants, due to leave in 8 weeks with a selection of the seeds. A stranger washes up on shore.
There's some mystery here, regarding who she is, why she was in the area, and the 4 inhabitants of the island have some secrets of their own.
At it's heart, its the story of family and the things you will do to protect them.
Moody and atmospheric, its a compelling read.

Charlotte McConaghy is a new to me author but I have just placed holds at my local library for two of previous books - that's how much Wild Dark Shore appealed to me!

From the first chapter this book had me enthralled - the characters, the setting, the darkness, the eeriness, the 'mystery' and the sadness kept me reading. I couldn't put it down! Although it was sad there were also periods of pure joy and I felt that love was the overriding emotion. The Salt family, Dominic, Raff, Fen and Orly had been through so much before they moved to the island of Shearwater as caretakers. It was heartbreaking in places but love saved the day!

When Rowan washed up after a terrible storm, more of their tragic back story was unearthed and she had a way of discovering things through her tenacious character and her own sad story.

It should have been a miserable book given all that happened but it wasn't in the slightest - it was gripping and intense and I just loved it! I particularly loved 9 year old Orly and his sweet way of talking and bis wide ranging knowledge of seeds and animals. I wanted the story to continue and find myself wondering what happened after they moved from the island.

Another interesting feature was the time setting, there wasn't a date given for the story and it could have been set in the present moment or sometime in the future - this added to the intrigue for me. This book will be published on March 2025 and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and Charlotte McConaghy for the e-ARC.

Narrated by multiple characters, Wild Dark Shore (2025) by Charlotte McConaghy is a literary fiction tale. Dominic Salt’s family are the only inhabitants on Shearwater Island, close to Antarctica. They live in the lighthouse amidst the abundant wildlife and look after all buildings and the world’s largest seed bank. After a storm, a woman mysteriously washes ashore, and her presence brings a disturbing element to the Salt family’s isolated life. Prepping for the permanent abandonment of the island, tensions and secrets amongst the five inhabitants culminate in a race again time before the final ship arrives. Overall, an enjoyable read, with psychological tension and surprise reveals, making it a three and a half star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given. With thanks to Penguin Random House Australia and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Wow, just wow.

An extroadinary story, set on a remote windswept island between Antarctica and Tasmania. Seemingly abandoned seed bank, cold water fauna, caretaker family and a shipwrecked woman.

First and third person narratives. Isolated, worried, insular characters. What do each of them hide. How do you build trust.

An unforgettable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**4.5 stars**

I had not read anything by Charlotte McConaghy before but I loved the sound of this book. Boy am I glad that I picked it up.

This book has a striking and lucid setting. Set on Shearwater, largely inspired by Macquarie Island, a subantarctic world heritage island located half way between Tasmania and Antarctica, with additional elements inspired from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
The Salt family, a unit of four have lived for 8 years, with the goal of preserving as much biodiversity of the world's disappearing flora as possible. The island is caving to the pressures of global warming. They are trying to survive another 6 weeks until they are picked up by a naval ship to take them home to Australia with as many seeds as they can carry.

One day, Rowan, a 40 year old woman washes ashore after her ship is wrecked in a storm trying to get to Shearwater. She begins to unravel a story, including the secrets of the Salt family, among these are the details of what happened to the 4 researchers who she knew to be on the island a few weeks ago, including her husband. Whom she has not heard from in weeks.

As time passes, the storms get worse, the sea water is rapidly rising. The island will soon be submerged.
While there was a thriller/mystery over-arching theme, Wild Dark Shore is a story about survival, love, loss and preservation that I found it difficult to put down.

The novel is told with multiple POVs and I was kept guessing about the true events of what had occurred on the island some weeks prior to Rowan's arrival throughout the entire book. I found McConaghy's writing to be considered and well-paced. The best part for me was the setting though. The descriptive language used to show us Shearwater was phenomenal and breath-taking, masking the island a character in its own right. The seals, the penguins, the whales, the ocean, the wind, the soliage. I now yearn to explore Macquarie Island one day.

I found the connections between Rowan and Raff, Fen and Orly to be believable and heartfelt. Her connections with each child were beautifully captured and unique to each other. Dominic was probably the least favourable character for me. At times I felt like he could be somewhat one-dimensional and I wish there had been a little more exploration of his depth of character. I feel the same way about Hank.

While there were some elements of the story that I wish had been fleshed out a little more, I thoroughly enjoyed Wild Dark Shore and would recommend this easily. I often find thrillers/mysteries to be predictable and boring but this one kept me guessing and I loved that there was far more depth and complexity and meaning to the story than a simple whodunnit .

Haunting. Enchanting. Beautiful.

This story had me on edge with the plot twists and mystery elements, it had me bawling my eyes out from the emotional depth and I was obsessed right from the start. A MASTERPIECE.

On a remote research island south of Australia, Dominic, a single father lives as caretaker with his kids Raff, Fen and Orly. When a mysterious woman named Rowan washes ashore, secrets the family had been hiding start to unravel. But as Rowan uncovers more information as to what exactly had been happening on the island, the stronger her bonds with Dom and the kids become, despite her lacking trust.

Tropes/themes:
🐧 humanity vs nature
🦭 mental health rep
🐧 connection in isolation
🦭 multiple POV

I haven’t read Charlotte McConaghy before so didn’t know what to expect. It sucked me right in and I just had to keep reading. The short chapters made this easy.

It tells the story of a single father raising his 3 children on a remote island between Australia and Antarctica. It’s a race against nature before the island is completely submerged so there’s a sense of panic throughout the whole book.

It has a bit of everything. Mystery, romance, science, conservation, tension, strong characters, grief and triumph - it’s all there. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s told in a very visual way and will no doubt make its way onto our screens. It centres on a family living on Shearwater Island after the scientists have left. Shearwater is situated between Tasmania and Antartica. A stranger washes up on shore and is revived by Dominic, a father to his three kids, Raff, Fen and Orly. The stranger is Rowan who is the wife of one of the scientists that worked on the island. As she recovers from her ordeal, the reader gets to know each member of the family through her eyes and also from their point of view as each chapter features one of the characters. A very absorbing and atmospheric tale.

The first page already had me in its grips. Wild Dark Shore paints an idyllic island, full of natural wonders and a secret. It takes a while to settle in, because there are multiple character POVs, and two are in first person, and others are in third person. For some odd reason, the tone and the setting make the story easy to follow despite the jumps.
Wild Dark Shore has dark themes, and the ending was surprising. It's about love for family, and how far some will go for that.
Took 1 star off because there was laziness. I am not a fan of people using a word narcissist when characters are clearly not, or borderline, yet they use that word to justify/ explain things like "hey"- This should make sense now! Not thrilled with that.

Having not any of Charlotte McConaghy’s novels previously I was very impressed with Wild Dark Shore.
There was equal amounts of intrigue around the recent events on the Island combined with the issues
surrounding climate change & our environment.
I would recommend this book to this who have enjoyed Bruny (Heather Rose) & Where The Crawdads Sing (Delia Owens). Thank you for the opportunity to read & review this great book. A worthwhile read indeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having visited the rugged coastline of Tasmania I enjoyed the vivid description of the island and wildlife. The novel centres around the inhabitants of this lonely island and their love of its animals and nature.. It also contains mystery, adventure , romance and family values. I recommend this novel as it will have you quickly turning the pages but also reflection when you have turned the last page.,

Wild Dark Shore - Review

3 Stars

What a unique and captivating read.

This story follows Dominic and his three children; Raff, Fen and Orly. They are the caretakers for a tiny Island called Shearwater - home to the worlds largest seed bank. Water levels are rising, a mystery woman washes up on the shore, and storms and panic are brewing ..

This book is extremely character driven rather than plot heavy. We experience many POV’s from each of the children, Dominic and Rowan. By showing the different perspectives from the characters, we are shown how magnetic and almost magical the island is for each of them. I thought it was absolutely beautiful to read about the nature and the human connection to the roots of the earth. Particularly, reading about Fen, there was something exceptional about her character and the way she cared about the animals and the island was so enthralling.

I really loved how this book drew on basic human survival instincts from “protecting their young” to “oh we’re running out of food and need to take care of the land”. The writing style was very beautiful which I thoroughly enjoyed - making this book a very easy read.

I did find the book to be a little slow paced and I think the multiple POV’s didn’t give us a chance to explore some of the characters too deeply i.e. Raff. I still deeply enjoyed and would absolutely recommend this book to my friends!

Thankyou to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Love this book. An intriguing mystery wrapped around great nature writing and contemplation of how we go on in the face of impacts of environmental catastrophe. I enjoyed the characters’ interaction with sea animals and the seed bank. I’ll be reading it again.

A most interesting and grabbing story. The storyline dips and swells a lot but that doesn't take away from me sitting on teh edge of my seat and really tired late at night but wanting to read more. Strong characters, so easy to visualise them and the Island. Would never have guessed the twists and turns. Loved reading this book, wanted more.

Wild dark shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Big thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! This novel will be released on the 4th of March. It is an Australian novel by an Australian author woo!

Something I really love about reading the ARCs through Netgalley is that I'm often finding myself exploring genres outside of my comfort zone.

In the case of Wild Dark Shore, it is a mystery set on the remote (and fictional) island of Shearwater, the home of the world's largest seed bank. It follows the caretakers and final inhabitants of the island; Dominic Salt, his teenagers Raff and Fenn, and his 9 year old son Orly. The island is slowly becoming uninhabitable, and so the Salts are tasked with packing up the seeds to be taken to a safer home.

The Salts are perplexed when, during one of the worst storms the island has seen, a mystery woman washes up on the shore. Who is she? How did she get there? Why did she come to the island?

Wild Dark Shore explores the effects of isolation, grief, despair in the face of climate change, and hope in spite of all these things. One thing that really stood out in this novel is it is really hard to know whether it is set in the present or a not so distant future where climate inaction has resulted in such severe weather events that the Salts feel uncertainty about their future returning to mainland Australia; an idea that made me sit in discomfort. McConaghy has the gift of immersion and creating these feelings of discomfort but also reminding us that in the face of adversity, all we need to do is look a bit harder; it's better to try to help than to not try at all.

There were times I did feel a bit lost, as there is a lot of talk about vegetation, the scientific names and the process in which biodiversity thrives. That is, in no way, a fault of the story; just something I can struggle with. Outside of this, you may find yourself unable to stop reading it, and finishing at 3am crying.

I enjoyed this read very much. I hadn’t read anything by Charlotte McConaghy before.

There are lots of characters in this story. There’s also a full on plot. Things are happening all the time on Shearwater. There were no boring chapters. You get romance, nature, and historical fiction. You name it, this book covers it.

Dominic Salt and his children are the caretakers of Shearwater, a remote island near Antarctica. It is home to the world’s largest seed bank, being adversely affected by rising sea levels. The family are now its only inhabitants. The isolation of the remote island affects all of the Salts.

Raff is eighteen and has had his heart broken. He’s not coping very well Fen is seventeen, and likes to spend her nights on the beach with the seals. Orly is nine and is very much into botany. Dominic lives in the past, obsessing about the loss that preceded their move to Shearwater.

During a storm a woman appears on the shore. The family nurses the woman, Rowan, back to health. They’re initially dubious about her but then they grow to like her. Rowan likes them as well. She’s disingenuous though. She’s not telling them the real reason that she cane to Shearwater. She finds sabotaged radios and a newly dug grave, realising that Dominic too is keeping secrets; sinister secrets.

The characters are engaging. Suspense is built and maintained well as the plot unfolds. I found it to be a quick read. I recommend this book to those with an interest in nature and in mystery stories.

Many thanks to Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.