Wild Dark Shore

A Novel

By: Charlotte McConaghy

Narrated by: Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, Steve West

This program features multicast narration.

An ENTHRALLING new novel from the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves

"The ensemble narration brings this intense story to life.” — AudioFile

"A WILDLY TALENTED writer." ―Emily St. John Mandel

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

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. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all 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 breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2025 Charlotte McConaghy (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Urgent…McConaghy ratchets up the tension as the characters’ paranoia and mutual suspicion increases and their motives are revealed…McConaghy blends entertainment with a sobering message about conservation and the impacts of geographic isolation.”—Publishers Weekly

What am I missing?!

This is a huge crowd favorite and I don’t get it. The story could have been better but the author made the reader dismiss any sort of reality and go with this outrageously fast story involving grief, instant love, childhood trauma AND climate change?! Call me old fashioned but what happened to a good, concise character arc?!

Really encapsulating and wonderful

Best audiobook I’ve listened to in a long time. I truly couldn’t shut it off. The imagery, the storyline, the twists and turns, I finished the audio book within a week.

absolutely fabulous book

I loved every word, person, plant and animal in this book. thank you so much for writing it.

INCREDIBLE!!!

I am screaming. I am gutted. I am a puddle. I am in absolute awe of this incredible book.

The brand new novel called Wild Dark Shore is at the tiptop of my book recommendations from now until forever. The writing, this incredible moving writing, is leaving me breathless.

The novel takes place on the windswept, almost abandoned and wild landscape of an island near Antarctica. Where a family lives trying to save something so precious to the world and humanity. When a woman washes up on their shores the sanity they are all trying to hold together starts to come apart.

Secrets are being held deep inside. The winds are talking back. And the sea is rising and fighting. And your heart will be tested and pulled into pieces. This book is pure magic. I will forever remember the first time I read it and I urge you to be swept away by its wildness

Great story but what about the narration?

I loved the story but I thought the narration was odd because there was not a voice actor for Raff but there was for all the other main characters.

Outstanding!

Intelligent. Romantic. Heartwrenching. The writing style and the outstanding narration are a perfect blend. Together they create a painting with words. Based on real science that is affecting us this very minute, McConaghy has woven the lives of heroes into the lives of all living things.

Wild and beautiful story

The story had beautiful plots and twists, and was easy to imagine being right there on the island. I love this book.

Balanced, intriguing, cautionary, lovely altogether.

This book is one of the best novels so far this year and the narration is by far the best of this year and last.

Gorgeous in every way!

What a beautiful and haunting story. The author is a new favorite! And the narrators were perfect!!!!

Good voiced

Its a good storyline but the end is disappointing and mediocre at best....like maybe the Author gave up on the characters