"Migrations" by Charlotte McConaghy -- BookExpo 2020 Buzz Book

BookExpo is one of my favorite events of the year. The books! The authors! The crowds!  Needless to say, the show -- in its usual format -- did not go on this year. But thanks to the technological age in which we live, I still had the chance to hear from editors from six publishing houses about the books they most want to shine a light on this year.  The bonus was that the authors participated as well, which doesn't happen in the ordinary course. Note to self: Be thankful for the small joys available in these times.

While it was interesting to hear about all the titles, the book I was most eager to hear about was "Migrations" by Charlotte McConaghy. Editor Caroline Bleeke (Flatiron Books/MacMillan) called "Migrations" an "urgent, gorgeous novel" and noted that the rights have already been sold in 20 countries. Then she quoted its opening lines... "The animals are dying. Soon we will be alone here." She had the (virtual) audience's attention.

The novel tells the story of Frannie Stone's quest to follow one of the last flocks of arctic terns on its migration. And it is a quest. Each year, these birds follow the sun from the Arctic Circle to the Antarctic Circle and then make the reverse trip. Fun fact: A tern flies the equivalent distance of going to the moon and back over the course of its lifetime. But due to climate change affecting their habitat, the terns are dying off.  For a variety of complicated reasons, Frannie needs to learn if they make it to their destination. But who will take her on this impossible journey?

Frannie talks her way onto a fishing boat captained by Ennis Malone. In this near-future world, there aren't many fish left in our oceans. But the terns have to eat on their journey, and she persuades Malone that by following the birds he will find his catch as well. His crew isn't so sure, but they have a long history with the captain, so they reluctantly agree to take on the harrowing journey.  The story is propulsive and thrilling and devastating and a wake-up call to the impact of climate change on our world.

Charlotte McConaghy

It was a treat to hear from McConaghy about her work as a writer and what inspired this story. McConaghy, an Aussie, said she had always looked forward to the arrival of a flock of seabirds on the Australian coast. Amazingly, they arrived on the same day each year. Until they stopped coming. McConaghy learned there wasn't enough food along the way for the birds to make the migration to their breeding ground. It broke her heart.

Still, she didn't set out to write a book about climate change. Her intention was to tell the story of a woman on a journey in which nature plays an important role. But it didn't take long for her to realize she couldn't write about nature without climate change being a significant part of the story. As she did her research, she learned that 60% of the earth's animal population has died off in the last 50 years. She wanted to explore the emotional impact of this change in our world.

McConaghy said she becomes one with her characters when she's writing. Frannie's story is so emotionally difficult that she periodically had to set aside the novel, sometimes for months at a time. In addition to her empathy for Frannie's quest, McConaghy related to Frannie's constant search for a home. McConaghy was raised by a single mother, and she had lived in 21 homes by the time she was 21 years old.

If my enthusiasm seems a bit excessive for a book not out yet, don't worry.  I haven't gone totally crazy (yet) in my isolated state. For the first time ever, I'd actually read a book being promoted at BookExpo. What??? Through my subscription to BookBrowse, a literary newsletter, I periodically get my hands on an advance reading copy of a book to review for their website. The description of "Migrations" grabbed me, and it didn't disappoint. It's part thriller, part character study, part commentary on the state of our natural world. The story is original, and the writing is often beautiful.

"Migrations" will hit bookstores on August 4th. I'm betting you can pre-order a copy through your favorite bookstore. Just a thought.

To read a short article in National Geographic about the arctic tern and the impact of climate change on the birds' migration, click here. And to read about the decline in our animal population, click here.

Stay safe.