The Island Child

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.

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)*

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.