I could not put this book down. I was enthralled by the intricate intertwining stories of the protagonist's history as it was very gradually revealed, her unique relationship with her scientist husband, and her desperate quest to follow the last migration of the Arctic tern with a motley boat crew of characters with disparate motivations. All the while, one aches for our fragile world. Charlotte McConaghy deftly describes a wide variety of characters with just enough telling detail to make them intriguing and sympathetic despite their flaws, and entrances with glimpses of what remains of the wild. We are kept wondering until the very end how this deeply moving story will unfold. After reading, I continued wondering how our world will unfold, and to what extent the book is prophetic. This is a very strong debut novel--I look forward to her next.