Ponder: Wild Dark Shore

Wild Dark Shore ©2025 by Charlotte McConaghy is the second book I have read by this author. I rate Wild Dark Shore five stars, a level higher than I rated her previous book, Migrations ©2020 which I awarded four stars (6/7/25 post). The plot facts of the book are best as described in the front flap of the book cover.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Wild Dark Shore is a captivating book. The setting is in a future dystopian time when water levels are rising, storms are fierce, and fires are devastatingly destructive due to climate change. On an island near Antartica, a family of four lives along with an assignment of scientists working a seed bank project to preserve the continued existence of species of plants. The island landscape and wildlife is beautiful and awesome.  The family relationships are admirable, complex, complicated, and deep. Each chapter heading is titled with the name of a character and so keeping track of the key players is quite manageable. Seeing each character's perspective is thought-provoking. Wild Dark Shore also has several unanticipated plot twists and jaw dropping reveals that kept the book interesting.

But if asked if I'd liked Wild Dark Shore, I'd have to pause and confusedly admit, "Not really." Why? Because one of my reasons for reading a book is for entertainment, relaxation, distraction, and enjoyment. Dystopian settings by their very nature are gloomy and bleak. But the book was tense — so tense that after finishing it, I had to read a lame, fluffy, romance novel (9/5/25 post) to get my shoulders to drop back down, leveled away from my ears; that is how uptight Wild Dark Shore made me feel.

I read this book because it was the selection for a book club I recently joined. The book was intricate. The characters were multi-dimensional. Discussing this book with others was stimulating. The social interactions and discussion are ones I'd like to repeat. It was a great book and for these reasons I am glad I read it. I am delighted I had others with whom to discuss it. Read Wild Dark Shore if you now feel curious and compelled, but please do not blame me if you have similar reactions as mine or if you struggle with the book. I would be glad to hear your thoughts. Wild Dark Shore is a book worthy of being long remembered and revisited.

★★★★★ Great! Read it!