Wild Dark Shore

Longlisted for the 2026 Stella Prize

By: Charlotte McConaghy

Narrated by: Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Steve West

REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2025!

'At once a gripping mystery, an exquisitely written ode to the natural world, and a taut, psychological thriller, Wild Dark Shore is a triumph. Charlotte McConaghy is masterful in her ability to show the intricate connections between place and the human heart, and Wild Dark Shore shows her at the height of her powers. Breathtaking.' HANNAH KENT

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world's largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, 18 and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, 17, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; 9-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can't stop turning back towards the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn't telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realises Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it's too late-and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

A novel of heartstopping twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is a story about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us is ending.

Always rich and complex storytelling.

Another great story that rides on waves of rich observational texture. The environment, in all its complexity and beauty is almost another character in the story.
I have enjoyed every audiobook available from the Author. Looking forward to whatever next comes from her desk.

Like you could feel the cold in your bones

I loved the different narrators telling their story, the day-to-day difficulties the family encountered, references to seeds, flora and fauna. and the story line. I didn't see that ending coming!

Terrific

Such an interesting and well-told story. Great characters, a setting that’s haunting and constantly emerging plot.

Wild and dark

Beautiful and atmospheric setting. The characters and general plot were interesting on the whole but I struggled with the speed in which relationships developed.