What immediately stood out to me reading Wild Dark Shore was the magical island setting. Living in a lighthouse surrounded by rugged coastline and wildlife creates a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that felt like its own character and honestly, my favorite one. The vivid descriptions of the sea, birds, and cliffs pulled me into a world that felt wild and strange and yet peaceful.
The book captures the upsides of solitude. Something I personally find myself longing for… quiet, the deep connection to nature, and the chance to reflect. But it also doesn’t shy away from the downsides: loneliness, isolation, and the heavy weight of being so cut off from others. It was a good reminder that complete solitude isn’t necessary for peaceful living. We are meant to live with and commune alongside others and it’s essential. To me, the characters reflected this truth, as their solitude seemed disabling rather than empowering.
And that brings me to what I disliked most about the book: the characters. While their struggles felt real, I had trouble fully connecting with them or engaging deeply with their personal journeys. In fact, I was ready to be done with them by the end haha
And I realized I have read McConaghy before (Migrations), and what stayed with me from that book was the same as in this one: the rich, immersive setting and vivid animal life.
Ok, so, what did you think? I have some discussion questions below, you can participate in the comments. I can’t believe this lighthouse I found on The World of Interiors, it is soo so perfect! Except that it’s not a real lighthouse haha I’m sharing a few pics below but read all about it here. It’s a great article!
The imagery in the book was so vivid, what stuck with you?
table: did you pick up on the subtle symbol of Rowan refinishing the table? My take is it tied to a sense of control of her situation and reflecting the care the family showed to her.
rugged waves, dark blues of the ocean: the image that is so present in my mind when reading and doesn’t it match the grief that is so apart of the whole story?
common daisy: This quote!!! “But the dandelion—this single flower that has given nourishment to countless other living creatures—is considered a weed.”
zodiac boat: anytime they mentioned going out in one of these it made me anxious. They seem so scary on those kind of wild ocean waves!!
legos: imagining kids growing up here and the limited access to media and consumerism and consumption. I loved the legos in the living room, one of the few activities they had aside from nature and animals outside.
fire: the fire was obviously a symbol for multiple reasons and it felt like a turning point for all of the characters journeys.
royal penguins: an ever present friend of the island! and to imagine the quantity of them! magical.
seals: another friend and peaceful presence on the island.
whale: another turning point for the characters and wild to imagine seeing these in person.
discussion questions:
01. The island feels like its own character. How did the setting make you feel? Did it seem peaceful, haunting, wild, or something else entirely?
02. Rowan was clear she didn’t want to have kids. A choice that isn’t often talked about openly in our society. Her bond with the children on the island seemed to challenge that conviction. At times, I supported her choice completely, but sometimes it felt like she was trying to prove something more than make a grounded decision.
How did you feel about her stance on motherhood?
03. Do you think Dominic used the island as an escape from losing his wife—or as a way to heal? Did it feel like he was running from something or searching for peace?
04. On that note… what did you make of his connection with Rowan? To me, it felt a little forced, not entirely genuine. Do you think there was real depth there?
05. So much of the book is about grief and how it shows up differently for everyone. How did you see grief shaping Rowan? Dominic? Even the kids?
charlotte mcconaghy is a powerful writer. So many highlighted quotes for me!
“Maybe we will drown or burn or starve one day, but until then we get to choose if we’ll add to that destruction or if we will care for each other.”
“But here is the nature of life. That we must love things with our whole selves, knowing they will die.”
“I understand it so simply now, it is a love that lives in the body but unlike the body it never dissolves. It lasts forever.”
“How to let go of plants and trees and flowers and shrubs, how to let go of the most exquisite, the most unusual, how to let biodiversity die in favor of what humans can eat.”
“To live for your children seems a normal thing, a respectable one; to live because of your children is something else.”
“I close my eyes, drinking it all in, knowing it is a place in time that I will never forget. The world is dangerous and we will not survive it. But there is this. Impermanent as it may be.”
“She isn’t frightened of the dead. It is only the living who have the power to harm.”
“Inside the sea is still fighting for her, it retains its hold. I think, deep in the darkest hours, that even if she survives this night that ocean will have her back one day.”
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01. The island feels like its own character. How did the setting make you feel? Did it seem peaceful, haunting, wild, or something else entirely?
02. Rowan was clear she didn’t want to have kids. A choice that isn’t often talked about openly in our society. Her bond with the children on the island seemed to challenge that conviction. At times, I supported her choice completely, but sometimes it felt like she was trying to prove something more than make a grounded decision. How did you feel about her stance on motherhood?
03. Do you think Dominic used the island as an escape from losing his wife? or as a way to heal? Did it feel like he was running from something or searching for peace?
04. On that note… what did you make of his connection with Rowan? To me, it felt a little forced, not entirely genuine. Do you think there was real depth there?
05. So much of the book is about grief and how it shows up differently for everyone. How did you see grief shaping Rowan? Dominic? Even the kids?