I can’t remember if I randomly found this book because I liked the author, or because I liked the narrator. Either way, I liked the narrator!
This was another book that was so very long, and I didn’t really think it needed to be so long. It’s about a woman named Franny Stone. She’s obsessed with the last flock of Arctic terns, and following them on their migratory journey. She tries to talk every ship captain she meets into letting her hitch a ride on their boat, but doesn’t succeed until she meets Ennis Malone.
There’s a lot of inter-ship relationship detail, and Franny’s backstory comes out slowly. Basically everyone on board (definitely including Franny) is kinda messed up. Some are more extremely messed up than others. It kinda seems like Franny just keeps trying to die, or doesn’t care if she dies, so you know that there’s at least a wee bit of trauma she’s hiding.
In the world of this book, global warming and climate change and pollution, and whatever other horrible things humans have done to the environment have left few animals remaining. Franny is a scientist, but we can all tell that’s not the whole truth. I read a review that said the author made you feel cold reading this book, and that’s totally true. Not only was the landscape and weather cold, you really felt the sense of loneliness and almost despair in the characters. I’m not sure I can recommend this book as a must read, but it definitely made me feel feelings. It’s not happy in any way, but it didn’t fully leave me in a wallowing pit of despair either. Choose your own adventure!
