Beautiful book which strongly evokes it's setting and characters and invites readers to suffer and survive alongside them

Irish writing seems to be at the forefront of publishing this year, authors old and new dazzling with their vibrant, lyrical novels.

The Island Child by Molly Aitken was another to add the list and oh how i loved it. The past and the present was brought beautifully to life by Aitken as she told the story of Oona, a child born during a storm, a mother who guarded her, cursed her, hid her love as she left her adrift unable to understand herself and her relationships with those around her.

It was hard to believe that not so long ago and, that some people still live on the small islands that surround Ireland, their lives harsh, once based on the land and fishing, now rooted in tourism. Oona’s life path was to follow the lives of previous island women, cooking, sewing, housework, tending the land for her family before finally marrying an islander and running her own home.

Aitken however had other ideas for her character, as she portrayed a child at odds with tradition, with her mother who kept her close, wrapped her in religion and the evil that she could become in the eyes of the Lord. You railed against that mother, wanted to cut the apron strings, for her to live in a world not dominated by a fear of God and his recriminations, of the danger that lurked in everything and everyone outside their doorstep. If Oona had been allowed freedom you wondered if she would have found later life so fraught and difficult, unsure of how to love, to open her emotions to others.

You watched as history began to repeat itself as her own daughter shunned her, as she became wrapped in grief and turmoil. Aitken dove deeper and deeper into her emotions, into the events that led her to return to the island, to face her fears, her family and you hoped an opportunity to rebuild.

If the novel was primarily about Oona, it was also a story wrapped in the mystical world of Irish folklore, of faeiries, of a sea that took a man under, before spewing them out. I loved how Aitken interlaced this mystical world into the islanders lives, it took the novel out of the ordinary, gave it an ethereal, and at times eerie feel. The weather and the rugged landscape, all played its part, Aitken’s narrative full of wonderful imagery, as the fog descended, as the waves crashed on the shore.

The Island Child was a brilliant mix of the modern, of the old, of a clash of culture, of tradition, of an ingrown fear of the unknown. It was a novel that beautifully captured your imagination and submerged you into Oona’s world. It was hard to believe this was Aitken’s debut and it will be interesting to read her next novel.

First impressions: I first saw this on Twitter, then it popped up again on Netgalley and I just had to read it. There were several things about the description which caught my attention – the island setting, which is always a draw for me. There is something about island communities

I was very excited to read this and it did not disappoint!

The story is told through a mixture of references to old folktales, modern-day Oona and flashbacks to her childhood growing up on a remote island. It is a thoughtful, slow novel but this is not a bad thing – rather this enticing slowness draws you further into the story and makes you care about the characters deeply, as well as lulling you into a false sense of security, making some of the events of the story ever more shocking.

The author’s use of language evoked the wild landscape and isolation of Inis so well, especially when describing the scenery and how Aisling and her son were destined to forever be outsiders because they hadn’t been born on the island and had not made the effort to conform to the narrow views of what was acceptable behaviour. The wildness of the sea and the extremes of human behaviour were detailed in such a powerful, and at times bleak and menacing way, that I felt as if the island itself were almost another character in the story.

Don’t miss this one if you enjoyed The Sealwoman’s Gift by Sally Magnusson, Folk by Zoe Gilbert, The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan, Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick or A Pocketful of Crows by Joanne Harris.

The water bit my legs. My skirt sucked and sloshed, pulling me further out. I watched the horizon and pictured myself in a new country, a new life, a new Oona. The answer was so simple. I would leave.

‘Oona.’ The sea was calling me.

I took one last gulp of air and slipped under. The cold, the dark wrapped around me. I was with her, my sister. I reached out to her, to comfort her, and felt her arms wrap around me. She whispered my name.

What I liked: The island setting and the links to the Persephone and Hades myth, especially with its focus being on the relationship between Persephone and her mother Demeter, Oona’s relationship with her family, particularly as each was so different – the tension between her and her mother, the care yet distance between her and her father, the vast difference in how each of her brothers treated her, etc.

Even better if: While the slow pace really added to the atmosphere, I found myself becoming frustrated at Oona’s indecision at times. She was truly, wholly believable as a character so this felt realistic rather than annoying as a reader.

How you could use it in your classroom: This is an adult book and, as such, I would not use it in the classroom. However, as a book group book or for aspiring authors to study the use of language, this book would provide so many opportunities for discussion, both about the issues raised and the gorgeous language used throughout.

This is a wonderfully, dark and magical book. It’s a coming of age tale mixed beautifully with folklore. It’s haunting and exquisite and will not disappoint!

My thanks to Canongate for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Island Child’ by Molly Aitken in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 30 January 2020.

‘The Island Child’ is Oona, who grew up on the wind-blasted island of Inis, located off the coast of Ireland. On the island the only book allowed was the Bible and girls were expected to either marry and become mothers or stay home and look after their ageing parents. Oona wants more from her life.

This novel tells Oona’s story both in her youth struggling with her need to escape and as an adult some twenty years later seeking to come to terms with her past. Interwoven beautifully throughout the narrative are tales from Irish myth and folklore and it is clear that the islanders continue to believe in these traditions and superstitions.

“On the island, what was true was loose; a truth was generally agreed by everyone to be a good story.”

Although it’s clear from a couple of dates in the text that Oona was born in the early 1950s and left the island in 1967, there is a timeless feeling running throughout the novel.

Aiken’s writing is exquisite, very lyrical and flowing and I felt that it would be perfect for an audiobook format. As a result I borrowed its e-audiobook, narrated by Aoife McMohan, to listen alongside reading the eARC. Her lilting voice enhanced the sense of Oona’s tale being part of the storytelling tradition so much a part of Irish culture.

A very impressive debut novel.

The Island Child is a great book centered around Irish folklore, motherhood, identity, among other things. I thought it was an impressive debut with good writing and engaging plot.

Inis, a rocky spit of land off the coast of Ireland, is a place frozen in time, where the men brave the sea to feed their families and the women cook their fish and weave their tales at home. This is the island where Oona was born, and which she longs to leave; “The Island Child” tells the story of her escape and her return.
The novel’s plot, beautiful and entrancing in its bareness, is modelled in part on the Greek myth of Demeter and Kore. Indeed, the only minor sin of the book is perhaps that of putting its mythical bones on show too clearly, through the snippets of legend that interrupt the flow of Oona’s narration (sometimes, I thought, unnecessarily). I believe Aitken’s exquisite use of time, leading the story towards a perfectly balanced centre, would have been enough to reveal the archetypal shadows cast by her characters. Yet, this may be due to with my personal love-hate relationship with mythical allusions (one of the professional hazards of being a classicist). Undeniably, these scraps of legend, drawing on other versions of the story and on the author’s fertile imagination, guide the reader through the more immaterial aspects of Oona’s journey, illuminating motifs and characters.
The latter are all profoundly real and compelling: wild Felim with his unsurmountable anger, Enda, so caring and irremediably alone, Pat who needs Oona almost inexplicably … But the “Island Child” is really about its women, starting with Oona. Through her eyes we are let into a world of mothers, like Aislinn, fighting for her children and against the prejudices of the islanders, and Mary, too bundled in her own solitude to understand that of her daughter. At the same time, this world belongs to daughters like Oona, their fear and desire to leave home so similar to the desire and fear of becoming mothers in their turn, to escape the past and find that they keep running back into it.
Full of lore and feeling, “The Island Child” is an unmissable read for anyone who loves mythical atmospheres and great storytelling. As a big fan of both, I can’t wait to read all of author Molly Aitken’s future work.

I'm only sorry I couldn't get my review done on time!

This is a wonderful story written with such delicate care for the characters, the craft and the atmosphere of the whole book. The Irish folklore and tradition help build both a claustrophobic and terrifying world, amongst the magical realism of an everyday experience. It's not the easiest thing to return home, and as a debut it's incredible!

The Island Child is Molly Aitken’s mesmerising, dark debut and centres around Irish folklore, superstition, secrets, motherhood and the search for identity associated with growing from a child into an adult. It follows Oona from her life growing up on a remote and somewhat desolate island off the Irish coast in the 1960s, where she is suffocated and ruled over by a cold, overbearing mother who is paranoid about letting her daughter out of her sight, to her eventual escape to freedom in Canada. But freedom is, unfortunately, not all it is cracked up to be for Oona as she carries with her the trauma received at the hands of her religious mother and this transfers into her having major issues in making connections and maintaining relationships with others. She goes on to repeat the emotionless relationship she once had with her mother with her own child struggling severely to feel any love for her.

This is a book that highlights just how difficult it is to fully escape your past; you can run to the ends of the earth and still feel the influence it has over you. Oona is a broken woman who I found sad to engage with but compelling all the same and the rest of the cast are characterised well. Aiken creates a sense of foreboding that runs throughout the entire novel and the story maintains a sense of mystery and melancholy right until the end. The writing is simply exquisite and tells a harrowing, poignant and profound tale in such a beautiful manner. It’s told in a subtle and sophisticated style but that makes it no less hard-hitting and the small-island claustrophobia and oppressiveness were palpable. Make no mistake this is a worthwhile read but an incredibly depressing one due to the heavier topics it covers. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Canongate for my advanced copy of The Island Child*

A dark tale of family secrets woven with Irish folklore. The Island Child spans across the lifetime of Oona, flicking between her younger and adult self. As a child she is extremely restricted at home with her emotionless and religious mother. We see her exploring relationships, teaching herself about life and yearning for freedom. The lack of support and want in her own home leads to her becoming a distant and lone character in her adult years. Struggling to maintain relationships and in turn, to love her own child.

This book deals with some tough themes such as abortion, rape, religion and death to name a few. For that reason it is quite a harrowing read and sometimes I found myself needing to check out something more cheerful!

It was quite slow to start with and I enjoyed the middle but the last 30% of the book was quite repetitive and miserable. Oona, obviously quite a scarred character, for the most part refused to make any effort with her very loyal husband (I have no idea why he stayed after being treated like that for years) and her daughter, Joyce, who quite rightly, wanted nothing to do with her mum. I started to lose sympathy for Oona.

The book was well written though and I’m sure it will be a popular book upon release.

The Island Child by Molly Aitken is an impressive and memorable debut. I was initially drawn to the striking cover, the rich colours and stylised imagery caught my eye, and reading the synopsis confirmed the fact that I needed to read this book.
The book tells the story of Oona, moving between her girlhood on a remote island off the coast of Ireland in the 1960's , and her adult life after she leaves the Island and moves to Canada. It is a book rife with superstition, secrets and sadness and I feel it will linger with me for some time to come.
Island life on Inis is hard for everyone, from the fishermen who take to the waves daily to their wives who wait in fear that they will not return. It is particularly hard for Oona, who lives with an over protective and very religious mother, one who seems determined never to allow her to have any freedom, not even to go to school. The only friends she has are her brothers, particularly Enda, and Felim, a young boy born on Inis on the same night as Oona, to a woman regarded by many of the superstitious islanders as a witch. While she is sheltered in many ways, in others Oona is forced to face up to the hardships of island life, particularly for it;s women , and she chafes against the many expectations and obligations placed upon her. When she finally has the chance to escape she takes it, and flees to Canada with Pat, the man who will become her husband.
As a mother herself Oona struggles, and while she begins to understand her own mother a little better, it does not mean that the relationship she has with her daughter is any less fraught than theirs was. In fact it is her daughter running away to Ireland that brings the book full circle as Oona returns to the island she could not wait to flee,
This book is much darker and more melancholy than I expected, but it is all the stronger for it, the pain and struggles of Oona are both heartbreaking and unforgettable. The writing is beautifully simple and direct, the author does a wonderful job of evoking the loneliness and isolation of island life with her turn of phrase, while also embracing the folklore she so deftly weaves into the story. While the moving between two timelines of child and adult Oona took a little getting used to at first, it was very effective and I soon got into the swing of it.. I enjoyed seeing the parallels between Oona's relationship with her mother and her daughter and her realisation that she will never be able to escape her childhood, it is part of who she is, but it is not all that she is, and that telling her story will free her from the shadows it has cast over her whole life, a freedom she has been craving for decades.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Island Child tells two stories: of the child who grew up watching births and betrayals, storms and secrets, and of the adult Oona, desperate to find a second chance, only to discover she can never completely escape.

It's a slow building book to begin, melancholic and moving, and much darker than initially expected. A tale of island life that never really leaves those involved.

This is an impressive debut novel ticking many of my favourite boxes, not least a setting on a remote Irish island. Oona has a repressed childhood, languishing at home under the watchful eye of a mother who won’t let her out of her sight for fear of…. what? Pretty much everything, but mainly too much freedom to get into trouble. Oona, of course, doesn’t want to marry the boy next door and live the same life as her mother over again. She dreams of escape and she does indeed escape, but under very different circumstances than she imagined.

In a story told in the first person by Oona, but from two different points in time - before and after her leaving the island - we come to understand the burden Oona has carried with her, how she has been unable to get over her early experiences and how this blights her new life. I wonder now I’ve finished the book if there were perhaps just a few too many strands in the later timeframe, involving her family, not all of them explored very deeply and distracting from Oona’s story. The best kind of ending, though, not too neat and with a fair glimmer of hope for the future.

A complex book which describes perfectly the claustrophobia of small island life which is mirred in secrets and destructive rumours. Oona is growing up in a religious home with a woman who she can't identify with and who's shame seeps into every element of her existence, suffocating her and driving her determination to escape. But when she does eventually escape she ends up carrying her past with her and struggling to make any connections past her own trauma.
What Molly Aitken has created her is an oppressive tale permeated with superstition, folklore and half truths toxically mixed with religious fervour. The atmosphere is tangible and the traumas that Oona has to live with and which she can't help but inflict on those around her are hard to stomach - creating a level of pessimism that is almost draining until the glimmer of hope at the end as she finally begins to talk.
Fantastic book but a heavier read than most.

The Island Child, by Molly Aitken is a painful and heart-breaking story of motherhood, womandhood, grief and identity.

Synopsis: Oona was born on the Island of Inis, a place steeped in superstition, folk-lore and religion, where men go out to sea in order to bring home food while the women stay home to cook, clean and raise their children. On a small island where everybody knows each other, distrust and rumours spread quickly and conformity is expected.

Twenty years ago, Oona left the island, her home, her prison, in an attempt to be free and live her life. However, she soon realises that she cannot put the island behind her as it has a way of catching up with you.

Oona’s life as a wife and mother is still haunted by the ways of the island and she finds herself struggling with the trauma of her childhood.

Follow Oona’s story as an adult, and as a child who watches as the ugly and betraying nature of the island reveals itself to her.

Before we get into the actual review I wanted to highlight some important thoughts I had! Firstly, this is a hard hitting book – much darker and painful than I originally expected. Normally, I leave the Content Warnings (may be slightly spoilery but theyre important) until the end of the post but I will include them here this time around so this book includes: Home Abortion (pretty graphic), Abuse, Trauma, Violence, Rape (in moderate detail, not overly graphic, of a minor), Death (adult and infant), Induced shame for identity (Gay character-shamed via religion), Implied/assumed fatal AIDS, Possible PTSD/Possible Postnatal Depression (not explicitly stated could be General Depression), Suicide (not graphic, mention only). I am very sorry if I missed any-I have tried to cover anything that may affect any readers. Most of these are mention only or not very graphic but are still present in the book.

This is a stunning novel, extraordinarily well written, and it deals with some important themes but it is a difficult novel, hard-hitting and emotional, it is heart-breaking overall.

— Beautiful And Vivid —
The Writing Style And Narrative. Molly Aitken has a very unique writing style, it is both incredibly direct but also beautiful and vivid. The sentences themself are often short and to the point, unless describing the beauty of nature or other significant scenes and descriptions making the book easy to read and follow throughout.

The dual narrative (past and present/ child and adult Oona) works very well, while the begininning of the novel is a little slow, the dual narrative allows the pace to pick up and maintain a good momentum through interest and suspense. The little mysteries created throughout the novel from why Oona’s daughter is mad at her to who committed other acts (vague to avoid spoilers!) creates another level to the story that keeps you interested as you want to see the resolution.

Interestingly enough this story is written in the first person narrative too which adds a strong emotional element to the events that occur. Oona is at the centre of a lot of the traumatic events whether they happen to her or to those she cares for, as a result we see her reaction to each event and it is truly harrowing. The perspective was a great choice for this particular novel and it created a significant amount of pathos that makes you feel connected to the story.

I thoroughy enjoyed the writing style and narrative choice for The Island Child and found it made for an amazing debut novel.

— Original And Heart-Breaking —
The Plot. The Island Child is a highly original and heart-breaking story with a lot of important themes. The plot explores womanhood, particularly on the island where the women stay at home and are obligated to have children and please their husbands. However, it also explores motherhood, the positive side of raising the sons and other island children, but also the negative side, the side where you are constantly worrying about your child, particularly the daughters, and the darker side where you feel you should never have been a mother. It is a difficult topic that is dealt with in multiple different ways throughout the story and is incredibly important.

The story also deals with abuse, trauma, identity and freedom. The book takes a harsh look at religion, specifically the negative aspect of Christianity, and how it can affect individuals and their identity. In particular it examines how some extreme or orthodox religious leaders can instil shame into you even though you have nothing to be ashamed of, this is evident for a character who is gay but feels disguted about it as they are convinced it is wrong by the Priest. However, it also looks at freedom and how you can move on from this and start accepting yourself once you are free from the community that controlled you.

Freedom is also a large part of the story for Oona who become free from the prison of the island, but struggles to be entirely free from the trauma it caused.

The story also edeals with different forms of abuse and violence which can be harrowing and difficult.

The pacing, after the first chapter or so, picks up quite nicely andis easily maintained. The mystery and suspense woven into the plot keeps you interested, and the multiple themes and elements are used wonderfully to keep you hooked. Overall, the elements of the story tie togther very well and as the pieces fall in to place and the wider picture is revealed you are left with a sense of melancholy that is oddly satisfying.

I did have one issue with the plot and the ending regarding the character who comminted the sexual assault. Firstly, it didn’t feel quite right to me, while the arc did have a resounding effect on the story the actual assault seemed mindless, maybe because of who did it or the reason they gave, either way I couldn’t quite get it (perhaps the mindlessness was the point). But, I accept it had a key part in the novel overall. The ending with this character also didn’t sit right with me and I cannot place why.

The ending with Oona’s family was sad and a little sweet, it ended on a melancholic note, not quite ‘finished’ or fixed but the journey to fixing the problems and accepting themselves has begun and it was perfect.

— Complex And Realistic —
The Characters. Each of the characters Aitken has created are complex and realistic. They are unique and individual from one and other and they are flawed making them easier to connect with.

Oona. The main character. Oona as a child is incredibly fierce and determined, she wants to go to sea like her brothers and be free from the confines of the house and the cruel hand of her mother. Oona finds herself drawn to Felim, a young boy her age born on the same stormy night that she was, despite her mothers stern warnings that she was to stay away from him and his mother. However, Oona is also relatively naive at times and can be self centred resulting in her behaving irrationally or unfairly.

Adult Oona is equally determined to be free and rid of her past but she is more burdened, traumatised by her time on the island, struggling with her daughter and marriage. However, she is still headstrong and stubborn with a self-centred streak. These traits and flaws make her a very interesting character to read about, and to read from her perspective

Pat. Oona’s husband is quiet, docile, quick to act and supportive. He adores his daughter and Oona but is too selfless at times. He is desperate to hold his family together and want’s nothing more than a happy life, he is understanding of Oona’s trauma and troubles and tries to be supportive. His character is interesting as we do not see his internal dialogue so while he is supportive and likely struggling we see only his attempts to save and fix things and not his suffering. His character is charming and sweet overall.

Felim. The young boy born on the same night as Oona, he has an odd allure to him. He is stubborn, forceful and determined, but also odd, prone to outbursts. Overall, his character appears to be kind and trying to fit in, but he is an outsider who will never be trusted. I didn’t like him though, his character was a little unsettling at times and very aloof.

Other significant characters include; Oona’s mother – a questionable and conformative woman with regard for religion and little for her daughter, father and two brothers (specifically Enda), Jonjoe (forgive me if this is incorrect I am writing without my kindle to hand unfortunately!) and Oona’s daughter and aunt. Everyone of these characters are in-depth and well crafted and inspire unique feelings towards them.

— Poignant And Powerful —
Overall. The Island Child, by Molly Aitken is a poignant and powerful debut novel that dives into some painful and heart-breaking themes with an underlying beautiful melancholy.

Definitely one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys general ficiton with hard-hitting themes and Irish folk-lore/superstitions weaved in.

*I received an eARC of #TheIslandChild by Molly Aitken from #Netgalley #Canongatebooks @canongatebooks in exchange for an honest review.*

*Also posted on my blog/Goodreads/Twitter- linked (accessible on/from 16/11/19 as that is when they will go live)*

Mother-daughter relationships, secrets and superstition.

Oona is born into an isolated fishing community on an imaginary island off the coast of Ireland. As a child, she is drawn to Felim, the feral son of outsider and purported witch, Aislinn. His growing resentment of the islanders’ abuse sours his relationship with Oona. She leaves the island, only to find it is not so easy to escape her memories.

This is a world in which men battle the sea to put food on the table, while women tend the home and grow prematurely old with poverty and childbirth. Lives are dominated as much by religion and superstition, as by the power of nature.

Structured as a dual-narrative, child Oona and adult Oona, The Island Child maintains a sense of mystery.

Aitken’s writing is assured and mesmerising, with a keen eye for nature. Her imagery is vivid and poetic.

I found the novel slow to get going, and it took me a while to catch hold of Oona’s character. Overall, however, The Island Child has a quiet, melancholic beauty to it that will stay with me for some time.

In its setting of a deeply religious and superstitious isolated community, The Island Child has similarities with The Good People by Hannah Kent.

A triumphant debut.

My thanks to NetGalley and to publisher, Canongate, for the ARC.

I struggled with this and I cant pinpoint why... there was lots of good content.
An island,a slightly nuts mother,a daughter desperate for some escape.
Family secrets.... island secrets.
I warmed completely to the characters of Enda and Pat,but not so much Oona,and that could be where the trouble lied.
Despite that,the story kept me going to the end,and I'm glad it did.