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Migrations
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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 worlds last birdsand her own final chance for redemption. A will is a powerful thing, and mine has been called terrible. Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the oceans tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she so loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the worlds last flock of Arctic terns and follow them on their final migration. She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his salty, eccentric crew with promises that the birds she is tracking will lead them to fish. As the Saghani fights its way south, Frannys new shipmates begin to realize that the beguiling scientist in their midst is not who she seems. Battered by night terrors, accumulating a pile of unsent letters to her husband, and dead set on following the terns at any cost, Franny is full of dark secrets. When the story of her past begins to unspool, Ennis and his crew must ask themselves what Franny is really running towardand running from. Propelled by an unreliable narrator as fierce and fragile as the terns she is following, Migrations is a shatteringly beautiful ode to the wild places and creatures now threatened. But at its heart, it is about the lengths we will go, to the very edges of the world, for the people we love.
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LeslieO
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Ready for April! Hoping for some nice weather for outdoor reading 🤞. Also hope to get to two books that have been on my #BookSpinBingo boards for over a year including the tagged book.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
22 likes1 comment
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LeslieO
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Oopsie! I put The Sweet Spot on my #BookSpinBingo board twice. Before the #bookspin and #doublespin numbers are drawn I will change #20 to Migrations.

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Traci1
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Recent #bookmail.

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BarbaraBB
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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So happy to read this on her Instagram: a new book by Charlotte McConaghy is coming 🙌🏽 It‘s not even in the Litsy database yet!

IuliaC We can add it to the database if we find its ISBN 2mo
BarbaraBB @IuliaC Thanks! I‘ll see if I can find that! 2mo
Soubhiville Yay! This is exciting. 🤩 2mo
See All 9 Comments
ErikasMindfulShelf Can‘t wait! Thanks for sharing. 2mo
squirrelbrain Ooh exciting! 2mo
Deblovestoread I‘ve been waiting, waiting, waiting for this excellent news! Thanks for sharing! 💜 2mo
BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread @Soubhiville @ErikasMindfulShelf @squirrelbrain I‘ve been following her on Instagram just to keep up with her writing a new book. I loved both others so much! 2mo
CBee OH MY GOODNESS this is the best news 😍😍😍 2mo
Hooked_on_books I didn‘t really like Wolves but I loved Migrations, so this is exciting news! The premise looks promising! 2mo
64 likes9 comments
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britt_brooke
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Set in a near future with rapid animal extinction, Franny casts off with a commercial fishing crew to follow a specific bird on likely its last migration. Where there are fish, there are birds, and vice versa. For a bit, this felt like two stories slapped together until we are fully aware of the circumstances. Such a gut punch. One of the absolute best, most emotional, endings I‘ve experienced in some time. #bookclub

squirrelbrain I loved this one! 🩵 3mo
britt_brooke @squirrelbrain The way it tied together … I‘ll think of it for years to come. 3mo
HeatherBookNerd Excellent book 3mo
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britt_brooke @HeatherBookNerd I‘m so happy my book club chose it because I doubt I would‘ve picked it up on my own. 3mo
BarbaraBB I loved this one so much too. Her other book is just as good! 3mo
79 likes6 comments
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MizzGraham
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

Wow, what a heavy and emotional book!! Highly recommend for a deep reading experience. ❄️📚❄️

18 likes1 stack add
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Kshakal
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Movie time with mom!

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Singout
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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My #ReadingtheAmericas2023 progress: continuing to knock a few off, although I won't read everything on the list by 2024!

Librarybelle Excellent progress! 6mo
BarbaraBB You‘re doing great 👍🏽 6mo
Singout @librarybelle @BarbaraBB Are we starting over next year or is that all there is in the world to read? I only started with Africa last year! 5mo
See All 6 Comments
Librarybelle Honestly, I have not really thought too far about next year with this! Totally my fault. @BarbaraBB 5mo
BarbaraBB @Librarybelle I haven‘t either, we‘ve covered most of the world, except for Oceania, which has only 18 countries, most of them small islands… 5mo
Singout Fair enough, just curious...lots of countries have two books 😏 but no pressure!
5mo
11 likes6 comments
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Singout
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

My #Greenland pick for #ReadingtheAmericas2023: not actually much Greenland but a really captivating story about an ecojustice activist in the near future who charms her way onto an Atlantic herring fisher to follow the migrating and threatened terns en route to the Antarctic. A painful backstory and a very diverse crew, with a bit of a nod to Moby Dick, kept me engaged, as well as the sheer passion for saving any bit of Earth's life.

BarbaraBB I loved this book so much 6mo
9 likes1 comment
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Jas16
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

In a near future where animals are going extinct at a rapid rate a woman is determined to follow terms on their last migration. After reading so many conflicting reviews I wondered where I would fall. Thankfully I really liked it. I cared less about Franny‘s backstory and was more interested in her journey at sea on she set sail with a crew that doesn‘t especially trust her or want her on board. The writing was so transportive.

GondorGirl This was such a beautiful, heartbreaking book! 6mo
49 likes1 stack add1 comment
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DaniJ
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

This is a work of art. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A Plath-like depiction of a lost and tortured woman who is wandering and broken, the prose in this book was so delicious. It‘s a unique story unlike any I‘ve read before that left me sad but hopeful. The world is losing species at a rapid rate, and the protagonist is her own antagonist and goes searching for the last of the Arctic terns. Travel to tumultuous tundra of oceans that is a broken woman‘s existence.

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Roary47
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Mehso-so

This is a very soft 3 star for me. It was interesting in regards to looking at mass extinction and the after effects of how we could survive. I wish I could have seen more of this. Our main character was okay, but I just wasn‘t a fan of hers as the story progressed. The back story for her made sense, but I felt led to believe that there was something more there. Read for #Naturalitsy @AllDebooks

AllDebooks Great review. I agree, I couldn't gel wirh the MC either 7mo
jlhammar This one didn't quite live up to my (very high) expectations either. I did really enjoy her second novel though 7mo
19 likes2 comments
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Roary47
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Thank you for the tag @Eggs 🍎Autumn time is one of the few times we can be outside and enjoy being outside. There is a town close by that we like to eat pie at and enjoy the sights. 🍎 Determined 🍎I‘m currently reading the tagged a little late 😅 Would you like to play?: @AllDebooks @Littlewolf1 @Daisey @JazzFeathers

Eggs Thanks for playing and sharing 🥳🥰 7mo
16 likes1 comment
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LaLove
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
Pickpick

This book is bleeaakkk.

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Julsmarshall
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

Amazing! This heartbreaking ecological odyssey considers a near future world where most animals are extinct and shares a personal journey of love, loss, and redemption. The characters are complex, difficult, and unforgettable. 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 8mo
IuliaC Great book! 8mo
57 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Tkimsal
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Good discussion today at book club. This novel was liked by everyone. #FirstSaturdayReaders

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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
Panpan

#Naturalitsy

I don't like to pan a book but I really hated this story. I would have bailed but was hosting #Naturalitsy #buddyread
I couldn't gel with the MC at all, implausible storylines, preachy, inconsistent and meh.

Don't give up on McConaghy tho as Once we were wolves is fantastic.

SamAnne I panned this one too 8mo
jlhammar Another pan! I agree, this was disappointing. I was perhaps kinder to it just because my expectations had been so high (I wanted to see the good) and it is so beloved. Hopefully her third book will be more like her second 8mo
Graywacke I‘m sorry. Of Course, i felt similar about it. 8mo
Cuilin Phew I don‘t feel so bad now. Check my review lol 😆 (edited) 8mo
37 likes4 comments
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vonnie862
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Mehso-so

This was an ok book. I had a hard time getting into for almost half of the book. I really enjoyed reading the setting: sometime in the near future where most animals and forests are extinct. I wish the book was more about this instead of Franny's inner turmoil. I give this 3 ⭐️

#BookSpinBingo #8 #ispybingo
@TheAromaofBooks @Clwojick

#rushathon
@DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES

#naturalitsy #buddyread @AllDebooks

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 8mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 8mo
jlhammar Great review! 8mo
45 likes3 comments
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Aimeesue
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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I was listening to this chapter while walking my dogs this morning. Quite apropos, as I too have crow friends who follow me around because I throw them peanuts. No gifts yet, but they do leave feathers on occasion. 🪶
#naturalitsy @AllDebooks

Leftcoastzen Love that you have crow friends! 8mo
Aimeesue @Leftcoastzen All you need is peanuts and consistency, really. They‘re very smart. Also very bossy, and they know where I live now, so I‘m afraid I‘ll have to feed them forever. 😄 (edited) 8mo
Tamra Sounds like a cat I know. 😹 8mo
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Aimeesue @Tamra 😸😸😸 8mo
jlhammar Love that! And great photo with the feathers! 8mo
Aimeesue @jlhammar thanks! I have SO many feathers. 😁 8mo
38 likes6 comments
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vonnie862
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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I'm currently trying to finish the tagged book and no, I'm not relating to any of the characters. The main character is trying to run from her past (murder, love, loneliness) while trying to catch some birds. So yeah...no. 😅
I could probably relate a little bit to the character's loneliness but I'm blessed to have loving people in my life.

#SundayFunday @ozma.of.oz

BookmarkTavern I‘m glad that you have people that help that feeling. Thank you for answering! 8mo
Graywacke I‘m glad you couldn‘t relate. 😳🙂 8mo
25 likes2 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy

#NaturaLitsy

Post 6/6

Would you read more by this author based on this reading experience?

🤔 I would appreciate some feedback on our first fiction read.
Have you enjoyed it as a break from non-fiction or would you prefer to have a nature fiction read on a regular basis?

Soubhiville I didn‘t like this one as much as I did her second book. I totally loved that one, it was one of my best of that year. Based on that, I will absolutely read whatever she publishes next. 8mo
Soubhiville I love environmental fiction and would enjoy sometimes breaking up the nonfiction with a fiction choice. 8mo
jlhammar I also preferred Once There Were Wolves and will definitely be reading her next book. I really like including fiction in our #NaturaLitsy mix! 8mo
See All 15 Comments
vonnie862 I highly enjoy fiction more than nonfiction but this was not the book for me. I need to try other environmental fiction books. It's a rare genre for me. 8mo
AllDebooks I'm so glad I read Once we were wolves first as that was fantastic. If I'd read Migrations first, I wouldn't pick up another of hers at all. I will try her others, on the strength of Wolves alone. 8mo
AllDebooks @Soubhiville @jlhammar @vonnie862 thanks for your feedback 😀 I'm up for more environmental fiction reads 📚 8mo
Graywacke Um…no? 😁 8mo
Cuilin I usually read fiction, so I appreciate the non fiction buddy reads for #NaturalLitsy 8mo
Aimeesue I haven‘t read anything else by her, but I‘m looking forward to reading more of her stuff for sure. I‘m always up for environmental fic or cli-fi. 8mo
AllDebooks @Graywacke is that no to more by McConaghy or no to more fiction? 🤔😅 8mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin Thanks for your feedback. If I include fiction, it may be once a quarter and from a predetermined list. That way, it could always run alongside a non-fiction read if it's a short book 8mo
Graywacke @AllDebooks sorry. I was answering to the author, not our related fiction. I‘m happy to try more fiction with nature themes. 8mo
Roary47 Well, this was my first book with you guys. I‘m an ENV Scientist turned teacher due to government changes in demand and availability so I‘m game for whatever. I wasn‘t completely impressed with this one so I‘d lean more toward non-fiction, but would like to see a fiction do a good job too. 7mo
28 likes15 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
This post contains spoilers
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#NaturaLitsy

Post 5/6

12) What were your thoughts on Franny's sentence?
13) What were Franny's reasons for following the Arctic tern? What do you think changed her mind?
14) What did you think of the ending?

jlhammar I didn't get how anyone would buy that the car accident was intentional. I understood why she wanted to punish herself, but that seemed far-fetched to me. I was surprised that the ending was somewhat hopeful. I found it moving. 8mo
vonnie862 @jlhammar same. How was she convicted for meditated murder? The mention that she has murdered people throughout the book made me think she did not something on purpose. It was all an accident. 8mo
vonnie862 The ending sounded hopeful but honestly, I was not too connected with Franny that it was meh for me. 8mo
See All 13 Comments
AllDebooks This storyline really irritated me so much. 😒 Pre-meditated surely means planned in advance, intention to harm others. Not a snap decision in the heat of the moment by a severely depressed and traumatised person seeking self-destruction. Her legal team were crap 😅 8mo
AllDebooks I guess her real motive was laid on pretty thick throughout the 2nd half of the book. Seeing the flock of terns gave her hope that all is not lost, but would that be enough to reverse her self-possessed, determined intentions, I don't know 🤔 8mo
AllDebooks As for the ending... who that guy? 8mo
Cuilin @jhammer @vonnie862 This is the element of the book that truly infuriated me. I felt the writer had manipulated us to believe that Franny was violent and then we realize she was involved in a car crash. Really? 8mo
Cuilin @AllDebooks yeah? Who? I raced through the ending. I don‘t think I completely understand but once I was done, there was no going back to investigate. lol 😂 8mo
Aimeesue @jlhammar @vonnie862 She was convicted of murder because she was "adamant" that she intentionally caused the two deaths and refused to plead to manslaughter. The forensic evidence showed she didn‘t brake or swerve, although in the snow, I find that hard to believe. Not a whole lotta skid marks on the pavement in snowstorms. 8mo
Aimeesue @AllDebooks I don‘t think it meant premeditated murder like we have in the US. Irish law considers intent for a murder charge - did Franny *mean* to kill someone. She insists she did, so it was murder rather than manslaughter. I‘m not sure how the Irish system handles competence, but on her own with a public defender, unless someone‘s obviously schizophrenic or impaired, they get to decide, even to their own detriment, right? 8mo
Aimeesue I liked the ending. Not happy, really, but somewhat hopeful. Made me wonder how well ol‘ unreliable Franny dad before, in her past. Must‘ve at some point, right? 8mo
AllDebooks @Aimeesue I think that's what irritated me about him popping up at the end. He was dismissed throughout the entire arc without ever really examining the impact of his relationship with Iris. 8mo
Roary47 I appreciate what @Aimeesue mentioned about it being Irish law. I‘m not familiar with their laws so this might be why she ended up with the sentence she did. I felt led on by the author like @Cuilin until that was mentioned. I wasn‘t very invested by the end to really think about what happened in the end. I too am glad it was hopeful, but meh… 7mo
10 likes13 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
This post contains spoilers
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#NaturaLitsy

Post 4/6

9) Why does Franny always leave?
10) Did you think Franny was portrayed as a violent person? Did your opinion change at all?
11) Did you like the setting among the Saghani and crew?

jlhammar I'm not sure that whole “wandering is in my blood“ thing really worked for me, but I can understand how she'd be restless and searching for home, for love, for freedom after all that she endured (seriously, SO MUCH tragedy). I saw her as traumatized rather than violent. I actually think I liked the flashbacks more than her time on the fishing boat. 8mo
vonnie862 I didn't see her as a violent person but a troubled one. Some people are more like nomads and she was one of them. 8mo
AllDebooks The heavy-handed hinting at her 'violence' didn't make me think of her as violent! In fact, it was so overdone, it made the plot guessable, as to some miscarriage of justice etc. If she was truly violent, she would be in lockdown in a maximum security facility. Definitely PTSD going on that contributes to her fleeing 8mo
See All 9 Comments
AllDebooks I did like the boat setting and crew. Although implausible as to accepting some inexperienced random runaway when they're heading into treacherous waters. 8mo
Cuilin If the whole story had been about the boat crew, and their journey, not about Franny‘s trauma, I think I would‘ve liked it better. 8mo
Aimeesue She leaves so she doesn‘t have to deal with her emotional trauma. If you‘re always busy or on the move, that becomes your focus, not thinking about your issues. @jlhammar is right, she was severely traumatized. But she was violent, in a way. More by how she affected others than by direct action. She hurt a lot of people, without ever intending to, but she hurt them. 8mo
AllDebooks @Cuilin me too. I found Franny quite irritating unfortunately 8mo
AllDebooks @Aimeesue I think that's a good point. She definitely bolts to numb her own pain and trauma but leaves more in her wake for her loved ones, unintentionally maybe. 8mo
Roary47 I agree with @Cuilin I was hoping for more of the environmental side of this story than the trauma. I‘m thinking that I just didn‘t particularly like her. However, I don‘t think she was violent either. The backstory she had made it understandable that she was the was she was. 7mo
9 likes9 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
This post contains spoilers
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#NaturaLitsy

Post 3/6

6) Why did Ennis let Franny join the crew?
7) When did he suspect she was lying?
8) Do you think Ennis and Franny share similarities? If so, in what ways are they alike?

jlhammar I guess they were both walking wounded, both searching and yearning for something lost, both love the sea. I think he knew there was more to her story from the get-go. 8mo
AllDebooks @jlhammar I agree. His whole crew seemed to be made up of similar lost people. I thought of Ennis as a nautical Peter Pan. 8mo
Aimeesue He kind of owed her, emotionally, for "saving" him, and they‘re both off chasing something. Redemption of a sort for both of them. Their own White Whales. 8mo
AllDebooks @Aimeesue Yes 🙌 White whales, I love that analogy 8mo
Roary47 I think he saw a lot of his self in his crew. Even if they were lying they didn‘t seem to have really anywhere else to go. Like you mentioned @AllDebooks he was kinda like Peter Pan of the sea. Collecting lost people. I also like what @Aimeesue that he had to let her for “saving” him. 7mo
9 likes5 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
This post contains spoilers
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#NaturaLitsy

Post 2/6

3) The novel is set in the future. When did you realise this?
4) How far into the future, do you think it is set?
5) What do you think the author was trying to convey by using this timeframe?

vonnie862 I noticed tight away that it was set in the future because food scarcity and animal extinction is mentioned in the first few chapters. However, it feels that it's in the near future though there's a chapter that mentions that sea life extinction has happened for a few centuries. So maybe it takes place in the next 100 years? 8mo
jlhammar It didn't feel to me that different from present day. I'm not sure when I realized. Things were mentioned, but the day-to-day impact didn't seem fully realized. I kind of wished we'd have gotten more of what the world would truly be like if so much life were wiped out. I feel like it would be more catastrophic, it would impact everything, more of an end-times scenario. Still, it felt like a warning to us all, a clarion call. 8mo
vonnie862 @jlhammar I agree. The author is trying to warn us to the dangers were leading our world. 8mo
See All 12 Comments
AllDebooks At times, I thought it got quite preachy and inward looking. I agree @jlhammar if food was so scarce, life would be apocalyptic. There would be war over resources, mass immigration, and anarchy, not something she portrayed well at all. 'There's no fish left, no food but still pop down Waitrose for a weekly shop. The 2 scenarios of scarcity & everyday life didn't marry up at all. 8mo
Graywacke I wondered about this but didn‘t get far enough to figure it out. Seems there were animals recently but not currently. So maybe 2030? That guess is based on the 80 pages i read. 8mo
Cuilin @AllDebooks @jhammer @vonnie862 this is why it felt so implausible to me because if we are that far into the future with climate change predictions one Ireland doesn‘t exist, and two Galway on the west coast certainly doesn‘t. (edited) 8mo
Aimeesue The animal extinctions kinda signaled that. I don‘t think it was that far off the mark. Extinctions are happening all the time. They just happen so slowly that most of us don‘t notice. How many polar bears do you think are left these days? Not a whole lot, comparatively speaking. Extinctions go slow and then they go fast, especially when a species isn‘t widely distributed. If they have 1 habitat, they‘re gone when it goes, or changes a lot. 8mo
Aimeesue @AllDebooks I don‘t think the scenario was that food was scarce. Or scarce *yet.* The author mentions livestock/ pets being fine, so developed countries continue with factory farming and giant soybean/corn/wheat farms. Areas that don‘t produce food would be in trouble pretty quick though - THEN you‘d get some problems. Thing is, climate change & its effects are s l o w, at least to human perception. Slow apocalypse doesn‘t scare us much. It should 8mo
AllDebooks @Aimeesue I agree, it really should scare us, especially as once it speeds up to notice, it will be too late 8mo
AllDebooks @Aimeesue I didn't find it plausible that sealife would be so disrupted, but everything else ok. If climate change, overfishing, etc, had depleted the oceans, it would have a knock-on effect everywhere. She mentions the wildlife enclosures and how hungry the animals are. These wild animals would be feeding on livestock and crops at any given opportunity 8mo
Aimeesue @AllDebooks I just assumed that the fending off of wildlife happened previous to this, given the lone starving wolf that everyone was so excited about. It would have been nice if that were explained a little more. I think this is a book where you have to read into those seemingly offhand things. (edited) 8mo
Roary47 @jlhammar I‘m also not sure when I noticed because food scarcity and extinctions are happening. I agree with most of you that it was falling short on a real picture of how these dying ecosystem‘s would effect us. This was really a lost opportunity in my opinion. 7mo
8 likes12 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
This post contains spoilers
show me
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#NaturaLitsy

This discussion thread will be over 6 posts, I'm only tagging in the 1st post, so check my following posts for continuing questions. I have used bookclubchat.com as a guide.

Post 1/6

1) Do you think the title has a double meaning?
2) Franny was insistent on getting on board the boat. Why do you think this was?

See All 16 Comments
Julsmarshall My hold just became available so I‘ll skip the discussion now but will come back to it when I‘m done :) Enjoy all! 8mo
AllDebooks @Julsmarshall I hope you enjoy it x 8mo
Cuilin I guess the fact that Franny herself disappears and reappears is connected to the title. 8mo
Soubhiville I read this the year it was published so unfortunately I don‘t remember all the details. When I read it I did like it, although I remember it making me sad. 8mo
vonnie862 1. The title symbolizes Franny's constant migration.. 8mo
vonnie862 2. Franny is trying to run away from her past and wants to end life...at least that's what I got out of it. 8mo
vonnie862 Also, she's on parole so being on a boat is her only way to migrate for her. 8mo
jlhammar Yeah, I guess the title could refer to not only the tern migration they were following, but Franny's wandering nature. I suppose the journey to scatter Niall's ashes is also a migration of sorts. I thought she was insistent so that she could follow through with her plan to fulfill Niall's last wishes and then end her own life/join him. 8mo
AllDebooks I thought the terns migration is almost dismissed alongside the emphasis of Franny's. 8mo
jlhammar @AllDebooks Yes! I was expecting/hoping for more of a focus on the terns and the natural world in general, but it was hazier, more in the background and Franny‘s drama in the forefront. 8mo
Aimeesue Well, the obvious literal migration of the terns, but also Frankie‘s emotional migration. At the end she finally comes back to herself and reconciles all the guilt and shame she‘s been dealing with, yeah? She‘s at least a little bit hopeful. 8mo
Roary47 I agree with @jlhammar she is wandering herself trying to escape herself. Then getting on the boat to carry out Niall‘s wishing. I was hoping for less personal migration and more about the birds too. 7mo
13 likes16 comments
review
jlhammar
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

I thought for sure I‘d love this, but just a like for me. A bit heavy-handed perhaps? Once There Were Wolves worked better for me for some reason. It is a haunting and emotional read though and I‘m glad I finally got to it. I‘ll be interested in whatever she writes next. Looking forward to our #NaturaLitsy discussion!

AllDebooks Great review. X 8mo
65 likes1 comment
review
Cuilin
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Panpan

I did not enjoy this journey at all. I was so irritated with the structure. The time changes & sequences with little cliffhangers every two pages made my ADHD scream “Get To The Point!” It was completed through anger infused propulsion. I also didn‘t find much of it plausible. I didn‘t like the MC. I really thought it was going to be about a woman tracking arctic terns. Guess I‘ll have to find another book for that. #UnpopularOpinion.

AnnR @Cuilin Your opinion probably isn't all that unpopular. I actually tried reading this one when it was initially published. Well, I'll just say I DNFed it after 4 chapters. Thankfully I had borrowed it thru the library. So, I think your well thought out review nicely sums up my opinion too, though I didn't finish the book. 8mo
Cuilin @Ann_Reads thanks, you did well to stop after ch 4, it got worse. I got mine second hand so not too bad. 8mo
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Graywacke @Ann_Reads i got 80 pages in before quitting. @Cuilin you get credit for pushing throught 🙂 8mo
Cuilin @Graywacke I appreciate that, thanks it was certainly challenging 8mo
AllDebooks I don't think it was such an unpopular opinion 8mo
Cuilin @AllDebooks oh, the relief! 😊Seriously, I thought it was me, so many people loved it. 🤨 8mo
Suet624 Oh my. I really liked this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 8mo
53 likes8 comments
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Tkimsal
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Just finished this a few minutes ago, and, wow, what a surprise this book was. Thought provoking, challenging, emotional. Can't wait for my book club's discussion.

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BookwormAHN
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

Although I enjoyed this book, it was at times rather preachy and depressing. Set in a not to distant future where most of the animals and birds are extinct, Franny is on a quest to follow the last migration of the Arctic terns.
#Naturalitsy #naturalitsybingo2023 #climatechange @AllDebooks #RushAthon @DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 8mo
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 8mo
62 likes2 comments
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BekaReid
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Just hanging with my Seren-cat reading. I can't believe she's 4 today!

RaeLovesToRead Hello Seren! 👋🏻 8mo
Leftcoastzen Beautiful birthday kitty!😻👏 8mo
dabbe Hello, Sweet Seren! 🖤🐾🖤 8mo
20 likes3 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Mehso-so

I loved the ideas behind this book, but for me, the execution left something to be desired. It seemed a bit overwritten. I liked the start, and the ending finally managed to engage me emotionally, but overall, it just didn't quite work for me.

And an ornithologist like Niall would know the whole "don't touch a bird's egg or the mother will abandon it" is an old wives tale. (That's not a spoiler, it's just one line towards the end that bugged me)

vonnie862 Yeah, I'm having a hard time getting into this one. 8mo
TheKidUpstairs @vonnie862 I know a lot of Littens loved this one. But I'd say if it's not working for you in the first 50-odd pages, feel free to bail, it doesn't greatly improve from there! 8mo
Cuilin So glad I‘m not the only one. Bit overwrought for me. Nearly finished. 8mo
58 likes3 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Who else loves getting an oil change because it means a solid 45 minutes to an hour of reading time? 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

ravenlee My husband always says, “Don‘t worry, I can take it for you,” and I‘m thinking, “Damnit, don‘t take this away from me!” but just have to say, “Thanks honey.” 8mo
JamieArc Me! And yesterday I had a doctor‘s appointment and was so disappointed when the nurse came to get me so quickly from the waiting room! 8mo
TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc that totally just happened! It was only half an hour (I mean, it's still good but not quite the same!) 8mo
TheKidUpstairs @ravenlee ugh, I know right?! They don't get how much of a gift that hour of quiet time is! 8mo
73 likes4 comments
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Graywacke
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Bailedbailed

Sorry #naturalitsy, I bailed.

I read 81 pages. I liked the setting, i was ok with the tone. I didn‘t like the (cardboard cutout?) characters, didn‘t like the development and all the things that I didn‘t buy. I felt it wasn‘t holding together and it got to me. Hopefully i‘ll take more to our next book.

jlhammar Good call - I think 81 pages is more than a fair shake! Sorry it didn't work for you. I haven't started it yet, but I did enjoy Once There Were Wolves so my hopes are high. 8mo
BarbaraBB That is surprising. I absolutely LOVED this one and normally we seem to have pretty similar taste! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 8mo
Graywacke @jlhammar @BarbaraBB might have just been me. I was enjoying it for a while, and then suddenly I wasn‘t. 8mo
See All 12 Comments
BarbaraBB It happens 😉 8mo
AllDebooks Well, you gave it a good go. Sorry it wasn't for you x 8mo
SamAnne I‘m a fellow traveler who also disliked this book. I have a hard time with stories involving environmental themes, nature backgrounds that are so off base from reality. And the fishing descriptions were also off base. The characters weren‘t enough to keep me in the story. 8mo
Graywacke @SamAnne “so off base with reality” - that caught up to me too. 8mo
Graywacke @BarbaraBB yeah, I guess it does. 8mo
Graywacke @AllDebooks yeah, too bad. But there are more books to try… 8mo
AllDebooks @Graywacke exactly x 8mo
Suet624 Oh dear... I really liked this one. 8mo
Graywacke @Suet624 a lot of readers like it a lot. 8mo
42 likes12 comments
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Cuilin
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#BookBinge #InvolvesAnimals in this case birds, as Franny Stone tracks the believed last migration of arctic terns to Antarctica.

Eggs Perfect 🐧🧊🤍 8mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 😍 8mo
rmaclean4 I ❤️ this book. I hope you do to. 8mo
See All 8 Comments
Cuilin @rmaclean4 Not sure yet. The jury is out on this one. 8mo
BarbaraBB I hope you‘ll end up loving it too! 8mo
SamAnne @Cuilin if it makes you feel any better I panned the book. #unpopularopinion. I get why it is so loved however. (edited) 8mo
Cuilin @SamAnne oh my gosh, that does make me feel better, I can‘t quite articulate the problem I‘m having with this novel. 8mo
Suet624 Why did I think you would really like this one? Maybe because I did. 😂😂 8mo
74 likes1 stack add8 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#Naturalitsy

Hi 👋

It feels weird not having a weekly check-in, so here I am asking how you all are. Have you had a good week? Have you started our book yet?
I'll post a discussion thread at the end of the month 😊

All welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

TheBookHippie Starting Monday 😅😂🤷🏻‍♀️ life… 9mo
See All 20 Comments
Roary47 As soon as I get balanced in the school routine as teacher and my oldest‘s homework and activities after school I‘ll be finding time to start. I‘m excited for this one. 🥰💛 9mo
jlhammar I‘m saving it for the latter half of the month. Really looking forward to it! 9mo
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I‘ll have to bow out for this one. Hope you all enjoy it! ❤️ 9mo
vonnie862 I haven't started yet. I too need to get in the rhythm of being back at school. 9mo
SamAnne I will be following the discussion and am interested in people‘s thoughts. I‘ve read it. I have an #unpopularopinion and really did not like this novel. But I seem to be a minority. Hope others enjoy! 9mo
Graywacke I like this checkin. 🙂 I will join, but haven‘t started yet. I‘ll start this week. (edited) 9mo
Suet624 Great book! I've given this one out to a number of friends. 9mo
AllDebooks @TheBookHippie tell me about it 😅 9mo
AllDebooks @Roary47 so glad you've joined us 😊 9mo
AllDebooks @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm ok, thank you for letting me know x 9mo
AllDebooks @vonnie862 glad to have you with us. Good luck settling back into a new school year x 9mo
AllDebooks @SamAnne oh, I'm intrigued to know your pov. Looking forward to discussion 😀 9mo
AllDebooks @Graywacke 😊 I'm excited for this one. Fiction is a bit of a change for us. 9mo
AllDebooks @Suet624 good to know! Aww, that's so sweet. I think we all have those kinds of books that passed out to loved ones x 9mo
AllDebooks I'm really excited for this one too. I'll be starting later next week once I finish my current fiction read. 9mo
41 likes20 comments
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Christinak
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

This was my book clubs pick for July. I think this is beautifully written. I had no idea what this was about when I picked it up - I thought it was going to be about birds. I will definitely read more books by her (I‘ll just make sure I have a box of tissues nearby)

CoverToCoverGirl Such a good book! 9mo
21 likes1 comment
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Tkimsal
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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August and September selections for book club. #FirstSaturdayReaders

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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#RushAThon

Joining in as I find these #readathons so helpful to whittle through those tbr stacks.
Goals -
🖋 I have a busy month in August, so I will be focusing on mood reading through #Netgalley arcs and library holds.
🖋 Complete #buddyreads for #Naturalitsy #rereadtheclassics #bookedintime #AAM #Bookedintime

Thank you for hosting @DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES ❤️📚❤️

DieAReader Great to have you! ❤️‍🔥We all very much enjoy cheering both ourselves, each other & others with their reading goals. Good luck📚🤓 9mo
Andrew65 Best of luck 😁 9mo
35 likes2 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

All ready for August's reading. Hopefully, I'll stay motivated with room for mood reading 📚 ☀️⛱️😊🥂

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 9mo
33 likes1 comment
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LitsyEvents
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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repost for @AllDebooks

#Naturalitsy

Our next #buddyread for fiction starts on 1st August. This is a little different from usual, less structured. As it's fiction, I'm going to set up as a read at your own pace.
I will post a discussion thread on the 27th of August.

Happy reading in the summer sun ☀️ 📚⛱️ 😍🥂

All welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

AllDebooks Thank you for the share x 9mo
36 likes2 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#Naturalitsy

August voting results @Soubhiville tbh I may join you, as Overstory has been on my shelf forever

currentlyreadinginCO Overstory😍😍 9mo
Soubhiville 🙂 I‘d be happy to buddyread it through StoryGraph. 9mo
AllDebooks @Soubhiville I'd love to but I'll have to fond my copy. I have a feeling I lent it to a friend 😬 9mo
31 likes3 comments
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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#Naturalitsy

Our next #buddyread for fiction starts on 1st August. This is a little different from usual, less structured. As it's fiction, I'm going to set up as a read at your own pace.
I will post a discussion thread on the 27th of August.

Happy reading in the summer sun ☀️ 📚⛱️ 😍🥂

All welcome to join us. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist.

@LitsyEvents

jlhammar Perfect, thank you! I've been meaning to read this since it first came out (and really enjoyed Once There Were Wolves) so can't wait! 9mo
AllDebooks @jlhammar I've just finished Wolves. It was so good. Can't wait to start Migrations 😊 9mo
Roary47 I‘m going to try. This one looks interesting. 🥰 9mo
See All 13 Comments
AllDebooks @Roary47 oh yay!! Welcome 😊 Tbh, after finishing Once there were wolves, I'm a bit obsessed with this author now. 9mo
AllDebooks @Roary47 here's the link to our planned reads for September and October. https://litsy.com/p/NGpkNHZEeE5L Let me know if you'd like to stay on the taglist 😊 9mo
Roary47 Sweet! Thank you. I would love to be added to the tag list please. 🥰💛 9mo
Soubhiville Oh weird, why did I think August was The Overstory? Well, that‘s what I‘ll be reading, I‘ve already started it 😆📚🤷‍♀️. 9mo
vonnie862 I just got the book so I'll be participating! 9mo
Knitmaths Can you add me to the tag list please, I‘ve been meaning to read Entangled life for ages and have ordered The Natural History of Selbourne. So I‘m prepped! 9mo
AllDebooks @Knitmaths Yay, welcome to our little nature corner of Litsy 😊 9mo
mjdowens Please add me to the list also. I have migrations, but will need to check into the others. 9mo
AllDebooks @mjdowens Yay, welcome 😊 Here's the link to our upcoming reads for autumn. @Knitmaths 9mo
40 likes13 comments
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The_Penniless_Author
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Mehso-so

Mixed feelings about this one. Descriptions of the natural world that were multilayered, profound, and read like poetry would be immediately followed by the clunky, overwrought prose of the MC's inner thoughts. The central conceit (the rapid disappearance of animal life) was good, and I liked how the story was structured, but certain scenes (like the introduction of the ship's crew) felt rushed and hackneyed, like a bad TV script. Overall...👇

The_Penniless_Author ...I'd say this was a decent book by a very good writer that - aside from some striking imagery/observations - left me unmoved. 10mo
41 likes1 comment
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The_Penniless_Author
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

The animals are dying.

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AllDebooks
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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#Naturalitsy

Voting stats for our July & August reads, as promised pn previous post 📚 🌞📚

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BirdLaVie
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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Mehso-so

This wasn‘t for me! There is a certain bristle and unlikable nature to McConaghy‘s main characters that feels like a barrier to connection for me. I appreciated the structure, ethics and intent of the novel (I enjoyed learning about the Arctic Terns!) Franny, in my opinion, wasn‘t the best character to tell this story. She was overdone and too rugged/traumatized with few redeeming qualities and surprising tenderness that came out of nowhere.

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LeslieO
Migrations: A Novel | Charlotte McConaghy
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This is high up on my #TBR but keeps getting passed over. #ScienceRelated #MayMontage

Jenken1998 I loved it! 12mo
Eggs Beautiful cover! 12mo
Hooked_on_books It‘s so good! It‘ll be a treat for you when you eventually get to it. 12mo
35 likes3 comments