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Read advance reader review of Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

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Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Migrations

A Novel

by Charlotte McConaghy
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Aug 4, 2020, 272 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jul 2021, 288 pages
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About This Book

Reviews


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There are currently 41 member reviews
for Migrations
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  • Margaret H. (Springfield, VA)
    Migrations
    At first I thought it would be a light romance of a young girl and her professor, but it is much deeper than that. Instead it is a book of different themes. Yes, it is a strange romance where two people are often apart, but then it is a science warning about the disappearance of fish and the effect on fishermen, and finally it is a mystery as Franny searches for what happened to her mother. The two parallel stories of the missing reach a conclusion which maybe a sorprise to the reader. Besides being a mystery it is also a warning about what may be happening to our world. It is a hard book to put down once started.
  • Carol N. (San Jose, CA)
    A "must" read...
    I thoroughly enjoyed Charlotte McConaghy's gripping novel of redemption, love, and survival, "Migrations." In this time of forced sheltered in place isolation, I found by reading her astounding novel, I was finally able to break my "lack of concentration" cycle I found myself spiraling in with other books. This is story is about loss but it is also about hope as the protagonist, Franny tells her story of wildlife's disappearance from our earth. She follows the arctic terns as they travel from Arctic to the Antarctic. She persuades a captain and crew to let her join them and allow the birds to dictate the boat's course. As the story unfolds, the author takes the reader through Franny's harrowing search for the birds and her tormented past. Interlaced in this lyrical story are interesting characters that have their own action filled stories to share with the reader. This unique heart-wrenching story slowly pieces together why Franny is driven to follow the terns and will keep any reader engaged during the difficult days ahead.
  • Diana P. (Schulenburg, TX)
    Migrations
    This story is like a puzzle. Every now and then you get a piece of the puzzle. Then you start to put it together. It is very interesting and moving in so many ways and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in birds, climate change, tides and finding yourself.
  • Ann B. (Kernville, CA)
    An enthralling debut novel set in a breathtaking future
    This book, like the birds the protagonist is so determined to follow, soars. Reading it in the midst of an actual pandemic gives it that much more gravity. But it needed no help in that, with or without the hovering of coronavirus. The prose is achingly gorgeous: 'I wandered. Through cobbled streets or into paddocks, where long grass whispered hish as I passed between.' The slow emergence of our main character, Franny, how the author lifts veil after veil to reveal her character, made me physically ache for her, while the author's attention to language makes the narrative that much more poetic, that much more enthralling. The laser-focus on nature, in all senses of the word, gives the book both a timeless and timely theme. I loved everything, every aching sentence, of this debut novel.
  • Gaye R. (Coupeville, WA)
    Staying in Touch
    Love and loss. Human family and the family of earth.
    How does one embrace each of these?
    Denial or acceptance? Avoidance or acknowledgement? Escape or engage? As Franny journeys through each of these stages and emotions of her life, she travels physically and passionately from north to south.
    Migrations contains a wealth of topics-relationships, death, nature, environment and the most interesting to me, Arctic Terns-for any book group discussion.
    When I rate a book 5 stars that means I plan to read it again. As soon as I share this engrossing novel with all my bookworm friends, I will be eagerly rediscovering Migrations.
  • Shey C. (Morristown, TN)
    Fantastic Book!!!
    I loved Migrations! Reading this book during the Covid-19 pandemic was very interesting. There are always two strong arguments in every controversy and it was interesting to read these points in the book and also seeing these points in relation to Covid. Throw in some beautiful language and Migrations is a hit! My favorite lines of the whole book are "We are wiping them out. Creatures that have learned to survive anything, everything, except us."
    I think Migrations would be an excellent book club read. I think the best discussion books are ones in which people will naturally divide on an issue and have differing points of view. This book has enough back story that it will appeal to most readers. I read it in two days, earmarked a ton of pages and look forward to reading it again!
  • Suzanne G. (Tucson, AZ)
    Many migrations
    This novel is one of the better books that I've read in a long time; it even may be a look into our environmental future. Franny with her migrations is moving from one interesting and eventful situation to another. Always there is a surprise when she reaches the ending of a migration. I'm hoping Migrations will receive many honors. It is a special book.

Beyond the Book:
  The Arctic Tern

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