Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Wild Dark Shore is a gripping, character-driven story set on a remote island near Antarctica, where the Salt family protects the world’s largest seed bank while grappling with grief and secrets. Perfect for fans of thrillers and emotionally rich family dramas.
If you love atmospheric, character-driven stories set at the edge of the world, this one is perfection.
Voted Indigo’s 2025 Book of the Year, Wild Dark Shore delivers.
Dominic uproots his three kids and moves them to Shearwater, a tiny island near Antarctica, after the sudden loss of his wife.
The Salt family’s job? Look after the world’s largest seed bank.
No pressure or anything — just millions of seeds that could reboot the entire planet if things ever went to shit...
Life on the island is quiet and routine.
Fen, the middle child, devotes herself to the seals and penguins, protecting their fragile newborns from being crushed by their parents massive bodies.
(Particularly the males in the chaos of mating season).
The animals treat her as one of their own. It's really beautiful.
Raff, the eldest, shoulders the emotional weight of the family. Hiding his own heartbreak for the sake of his siblings.
Orlo, just eight, is really bright and kind. He knows every plant on the island and their significance.
He also carries a responsibility for his mother’s death.
"Here is the nature of life: we must love things with our whole selves knowing they will die."
But the Salts hold many secrets on Shearwater.
Imprisonment, heartbreak, suicide, accidental death—each one woven into the island’s haunting 8 year history.
And to top it off, the family MUST evacuate.
The island will be underwater within weeks.
Then Rowan crashes onto the shore.
Her husband, a researcher stationed on Shearwater, sent an email SOS.
She fled the mainland to find him—only to be shipwrecked on route.
The Salt family can only hope Rowan doesn't discover their deep, dark secrets.
Watching the characters shift and grow is an experience you need to have.
“To live for your children seems a normal thing, a respectable one; to live because of your children is something else… But I think maybe this is too much for them to be. The breath of a man. The life of him. I think it is too heavy a thing for children to carry."
It is one of those books you'll think about for days.
Until next time,
Sheila
