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The Island Child
LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD
'Thrillingly original' Naoise Dolan
'Exquisite' Daily Telegraph
Twenty years ago, Oona left the island of Inis for the very first time. A wind-blasted rock of fishing boats and turf fires, where girls stayed in their homes until they became mothers themselves, the island was a gift for some, a prison for others.
The Island Child tells two of the girl 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. As the strands of Oona’s life come together, in blood and marriage and motherhood, she must accept the price we pay when we love what is never truly ours . . .
'Thrillingly original' Naoise Dolan
'Exquisite' Daily Telegraph
Twenty years ago, Oona left the island of Inis for the very first time. A wind-blasted rock of fishing boats and turf fires, where girls stayed in their homes until they became mothers themselves, the island was a gift for some, a prison for others.
The Island Child tells two of the girl 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. As the strands of Oona’s life come together, in blood and marriage and motherhood, she must accept the price we pay when we love what is never truly ours . . .
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Molly Aitken
6 books207 followersMolly Aitken is the author of Bright I Burn, a Royal Society of Literature's Encore shortlisted novel (2024). Her debut was The Island Child. Molly's prize winning short fiction has appeared in the New Yorker, Ploughshares and Banshee, and has been dramatised for BBC Radio 4.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
January 31, 2020
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.
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.
December 8, 2020
3/5 stars
Tell me a story', she says. 'Like you used to when I was little'.
'Once upon a time, a woman gave birth to a daughter.'
'That's the one'...
The Island Child was one of my most anticipated novels of 2020, as it seemingly had every element I adore in literary fiction: an remote island setting near the Irish shore, an exploration of trauma and motherhood and a dose of mystisicm and folklore to form the backdrop. While parts of that expectation were met, I was almost a little confused by how little I found myself connecting to the story. Over the course of the 4 days I spent reading this short novel I had to keep reminding myself to come back to it, yet it took me a while to put my finger on why that was.
The setting is wonderfully atmospheric and the writing is beautiful: it's clear that Molly Aitken has a great talent for language. These were the aspects that did draw me in night after night. What didn't were the characters. For a novel so focussed on its characters, I found myself not getting a feel for Oona. She was "the eyes of the reader" in her circumstances to me, instead of her own character with motivations and agency, and I felt a little detached from her at all times.
Maybe another factor was how I hadn't realised that a large part of this book would take place in the nineteenfifties, which happens to be a time period that I'm just not too drawn to.
In conclusion, I'm ending in the middle with The Island Child: 3 deserved stars for the stunning writing and clear talent the author has, but minus 2 stars for my disconnect to the characters, as well as the fact that I've read similar stories before.
If you want something in the vein of Evie Wyld, Daisy Johnson or even Laura Kay, Molly Aitken is an author to watch for the future.
Tell me a story', she says. 'Like you used to when I was little'.
'Once upon a time, a woman gave birth to a daughter.'
'That's the one'...
The Island Child was one of my most anticipated novels of 2020, as it seemingly had every element I adore in literary fiction: an remote island setting near the Irish shore, an exploration of trauma and motherhood and a dose of mystisicm and folklore to form the backdrop. While parts of that expectation were met, I was almost a little confused by how little I found myself connecting to the story. Over the course of the 4 days I spent reading this short novel I had to keep reminding myself to come back to it, yet it took me a while to put my finger on why that was.
The setting is wonderfully atmospheric and the writing is beautiful: it's clear that Molly Aitken has a great talent for language. These were the aspects that did draw me in night after night. What didn't were the characters. For a novel so focussed on its characters, I found myself not getting a feel for Oona. She was "the eyes of the reader" in her circumstances to me, instead of her own character with motivations and agency, and I felt a little detached from her at all times.
Maybe another factor was how I hadn't realised that a large part of this book would take place in the nineteenfifties, which happens to be a time period that I'm just not too drawn to.
In conclusion, I'm ending in the middle with The Island Child: 3 deserved stars for the stunning writing and clear talent the author has, but minus 2 stars for my disconnect to the characters, as well as the fact that I've read similar stories before.
If you want something in the vein of Evie Wyld, Daisy Johnson or even Laura Kay, Molly Aitken is an author to watch for the future.
October 2, 2023
I came across this book totally by accident. I just read the title - Island Child - and thought that sounds like me. Little did I know it was even closer to home than I imagined for it was based in Ireland. Many of you that don’t live in Ireland might not understand the extent to which many of our small towns and villages are very remote even now, never mind when this story is set. Furthermore, the book is not only based in Ireland but it is set on the island called Inis (I’m guessing this is a take on the real island of Inishmore). Anyhow, if you think Ireland is remote, the small islands of our small country are even more so; I’m talking not even having phones until relatively recently!
There is something absolutely enchanting about this book; Maybe it’s the small Irish island setting of Inis or the call of the sea. Either way the prose weave in and out gracefully between two generations of mother and child telling the story of Oona as a young child, struggling with the restrictions of being a girl, placed upon her by her mother. On the surface, she has grown up with nothing but religion but there is so much more hiding beneath the surface.
As Oona grows into a young teen she feels a deep longing for freedom and is drawn desperately to the sea…
A sense mystery runs through the book; something unspoken of and not revealed until the end. A heartbreak only a mother would know…
20 years on…Oona returns to the tiny island for the first time, in search of her very own daughter, Joyce, who has had the same sense of escape.
This debut novel is absolutely captivating. I felt so connected to the characters throughout and felt both the positive energy and the deep sorrow, trauma and heartache. Despite being haunting in aspects, it teaches us the importance of finding our own identity and following our fate to truly heal the broken, emotionless bonds of the past.
Trigger warning ❗️ rape
There is something absolutely enchanting about this book; Maybe it’s the small Irish island setting of Inis or the call of the sea. Either way the prose weave in and out gracefully between two generations of mother and child telling the story of Oona as a young child, struggling with the restrictions of being a girl, placed upon her by her mother. On the surface, she has grown up with nothing but religion but there is so much more hiding beneath the surface.
As Oona grows into a young teen she feels a deep longing for freedom and is drawn desperately to the sea…
A sense mystery runs through the book; something unspoken of and not revealed until the end. A heartbreak only a mother would know…
20 years on…Oona returns to the tiny island for the first time, in search of her very own daughter, Joyce, who has had the same sense of escape.
This debut novel is absolutely captivating. I felt so connected to the characters throughout and felt both the positive energy and the deep sorrow, trauma and heartache. Despite being haunting in aspects, it teaches us the importance of finding our own identity and following our fate to truly heal the broken, emotionless bonds of the past.
Trigger warning ❗️ rape
July 27, 2020
Outstanding debut novel.
Atmospheric and melancholy...
Growing up on the Aran Island of Inis was a place of loneliness and entrapment for the girl Oona. While her brothers left the cottage every day to accompany their father on his fishing trips, Oona was left at home with her mother, a woman who was stern and uncommunicative. While boys went to school, girls did not as they were needed in the home. The division of labour was strict, the insular life hard. Oona always wanted more from life. She want to escape the confines of her family and her island home.
“I’d seen that if you spoke your bitterness it spread and grew in others too.”
Inis was a place where the parish priest ruled. He taught at the school and was revered for his holiness and his power.
“…truths left unsaid rot like old clams.”
When Oona turns sixteen she experiences a trauma that will colour the entire rest of her life…
MY THOUGHTS
Seriously, the blurb had me hooked. An island setting, family secrets, and Ireland. The perfect combination!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Oona’s story. At times, especially in the parts where Oona was a child on Inis, the book read almost like magical realism. Her innocent childish imaginings coupled with the rich superstitions and beliefs of her countrymen provided an atmospheric look and eerie feel to the novel.
Themes of isolation, loneliness, forgiveness, and loss made for a captivating though melancholy read. A memorable book which was rich in character and setting which told of mothers and children and how the love can be different in each.
An outstanding debut by a young and talented author I will be on the alert for. Recommended!
Atmospheric and melancholy...
Growing up on the Aran Island of Inis was a place of loneliness and entrapment for the girl Oona. While her brothers left the cottage every day to accompany their father on his fishing trips, Oona was left at home with her mother, a woman who was stern and uncommunicative. While boys went to school, girls did not as they were needed in the home. The division of labour was strict, the insular life hard. Oona always wanted more from life. She want to escape the confines of her family and her island home.
“I’d seen that if you spoke your bitterness it spread and grew in others too.”
Inis was a place where the parish priest ruled. He taught at the school and was revered for his holiness and his power.
“…truths left unsaid rot like old clams.”
When Oona turns sixteen she experiences a trauma that will colour the entire rest of her life…
MY THOUGHTS
Seriously, the blurb had me hooked. An island setting, family secrets, and Ireland. The perfect combination!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Oona’s story. At times, especially in the parts where Oona was a child on Inis, the book read almost like magical realism. Her innocent childish imaginings coupled with the rich superstitions and beliefs of her countrymen provided an atmospheric look and eerie feel to the novel.
Themes of isolation, loneliness, forgiveness, and loss made for a captivating though melancholy read. A memorable book which was rich in character and setting which told of mothers and children and how the love can be different in each.
An outstanding debut by a young and talented author I will be on the alert for. Recommended!
June 10, 2020
The story intrigued me and it was well-written but I just didn't like it. It's a dark story and perhaps that's why I struggled. I had to skim the last half of the book as despite the writing I found it slow and repetitive. Oona's young life is tragic and so whilst I understood what lead her to become the adult she did and struggle with relationships, I found it difficult to connect with her or be sympathetic to her. I know I'm on the outlier here as most others have loved this book and rated it highly. This just wasn't the book for me.
November 16, 2019
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 they're 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.*
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 they're 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.*
December 14, 2019
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.
With thanks to Canongate via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
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.
With thanks to Canongate via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.
July 16, 2020
enjoyed this novel a mixture of folklore and family relationships in a small community based in Ireland and the other part Canada , felt quite mythical in parts
August 23, 2020
I’ve been so anxious lately and this epic story of families, secrets, folklore and landscape has been the perfect remedy, allowing me to totally lose myself in the pages. So much happens and over a long period of time, but the book doesn’t feel overly plot driven and has perfect pace. Gorgeous prose. Amazing that this is a debut.
February 27, 2021
Oona was born and raised on Inis, a small, remote, craggy, rocky island off the coast of Ireland. In this insular community, the men are all fishermen and the women are all homemakers. The island swirls with folklore and religion. It's a place where people are expected to be a certain way and conform with the expectations. After a series of events when she is a teen, Oona flees from the island to make a new life for herself overseas. Twenty years later, her daughter disappears and Oona has to reflect on her past to figure out her present. The story moves back and forth between present day and Oona's past growing up on the island.
This is one of those atmospheric books. I can picture the rocky coastline, where people would often injure themselves on the crags. I can picture the people living there in there close off remote life. Oona never planned to stay on the island her whole life and she has some good childhood memories with her brother and friend but there is just as much sadness woven in. Oona grew up hearing lots of fairy tales and folklore. Her mother told stories about whales and more to a young Oona. The whole book has an almost folktale quality to it. It's realistic fiction with that moody, almost mystical thread woven throughout, tangled around Oona's memories and reflections.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This is one of those atmospheric books. I can picture the rocky coastline, where people would often injure themselves on the crags. I can picture the people living there in there close off remote life. Oona never planned to stay on the island her whole life and she has some good childhood memories with her brother and friend but there is just as much sadness woven in. Oona grew up hearing lots of fairy tales and folklore. Her mother told stories about whales and more to a young Oona. The whole book has an almost folktale quality to it. It's realistic fiction with that moody, almost mystical thread woven throughout, tangled around Oona's memories and reflections.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
November 17, 2020
Narrator: Aoife McMahon (really great narration overall. The Irish characters were portrayed really well but the accents and voices used for any of the Canadian/North American characters was questionable).
The Island Child follows the troubled story of Oona who is forced to return to the Irish island of Inis when her daughter runs away. In her own magical way of storytelling that echoes the Irish folktales and mythology we grew up with, Oona weaves a tale of an island stuck in its old ways, and haunted by the fear of anything other. Of bitter people and regrets and women punished for simply being born a female in a man's world.
This was a really magical story that was full of the magical nature that comes with life on an island but combined with the cruelty and spite that can be human beings. It weaves in tragedy and regret, as well as mental trauma and sexual assault. There were times this was really hard to read, and the overall tone of the book is quite sad and sorrowful but this is a story for mothers and for daughters, and the complicated relationships that often occur between women.
I felt really engrossed in this story, and I found myself feeling so many things for Oona. As a child, I wanted to pluck her away from a mother who was cruel and spiteful (and remained so for the rest of her days), as a teenager I wanted to sit her down and explain to her the dangers of being a woman surrounded by men and to keep her spirit but also be careful of herself. And as a woman, I wanted to tell her she was okay, she wasn't spoiled and still had so much to offer. But as a mother, I often wanted to shake her and tell her to look after herself better so she could in turn care for her child.
Oona's mother Mary was probably one of the worst, wickedest characters I've read in a way that she was so real and I know there were so many women that were like her. Her unpleasant nature managed to sweep into the stories like the pages were dipped in poison and I could feel myself almost having a physical reaction every time she spat out some new negativity towards Oona.
This story left me feeling sad for the characters that the bitterness of the island affected so much of their life - for Pat and for Oona, and also Enda. The ending felt like a new wave in a way, and it ended on a note of hope which I liked. Pat and Oona deserved so much better and I like to think they got it.
The Island Child follows the troubled story of Oona who is forced to return to the Irish island of Inis when her daughter runs away. In her own magical way of storytelling that echoes the Irish folktales and mythology we grew up with, Oona weaves a tale of an island stuck in its old ways, and haunted by the fear of anything other. Of bitter people and regrets and women punished for simply being born a female in a man's world.
This was a really magical story that was full of the magical nature that comes with life on an island but combined with the cruelty and spite that can be human beings. It weaves in tragedy and regret, as well as mental trauma and sexual assault. There were times this was really hard to read, and the overall tone of the book is quite sad and sorrowful but this is a story for mothers and for daughters, and the complicated relationships that often occur between women.
I felt really engrossed in this story, and I found myself feeling so many things for Oona. As a child, I wanted to pluck her away from a mother who was cruel and spiteful (and remained so for the rest of her days), as a teenager I wanted to sit her down and explain to her the dangers of being a woman surrounded by men and to keep her spirit but also be careful of herself. And as a woman, I wanted to tell her she was okay, she wasn't spoiled and still had so much to offer. But as a mother, I often wanted to shake her and tell her to look after herself better so she could in turn care for her child.
Oona's mother Mary was probably one of the worst, wickedest characters I've read in a way that she was so real and I know there were so many women that were like her. Her unpleasant nature managed to sweep into the stories like the pages were dipped in poison and I could feel myself almost having a physical reaction every time she spat out some new negativity towards Oona.
This story left me feeling sad for the characters that the bitterness of the island affected so much of their life - for Pat and for Oona, and also Enda. The ending felt like a new wave in a way, and it ended on a note of hope which I liked. Pat and Oona deserved so much better and I like to think they got it.
August 11, 2020
What a waste.
While this begins with promising writing and a compelling story, this tale falls apart halfway through--and only gets worse on the final pages. Truly, left me wondering what and why??
Disappointed and more than a little angry that I wasted my time on this book.
What in the world was the author's intention?
While this begins with promising writing and a compelling story, this tale falls apart halfway through--and only gets worse on the final pages. Truly, left me wondering what and why??
Disappointed and more than a little angry that I wasted my time on this book.
What in the world was the author's intention?
July 27, 2021
i thought this was gonna be a slow, atmospheric read that built up to a strong ending (à la Hannah Kent, maybe), but it really just turned out to be a melodrama of the worst kind. sorry but throwing as much traumatic shit as possible at your characters does not mean your story will be any more compelling or meaningful. also absolutely hated how this novel dealt with rape and its aftermath.
October 30, 2020
3.75|5
Wow, talking about stellar debuts!
Wow, talking about stellar debuts!
December 30, 2020
This is a beautiful evocation of claustrophobic conformity on an Irish Island, coming of age and dealing with the past.
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When Oona emigrates from the island of Enis to Canada, leaving behind everything she has ever known, she thinks that she can close the door on her past. She has struggled to burst free from a paternalistic community, where men have relative freedom and girls must stay at home to be protected by their mothers. Womanhood is portrayed as a curse and certainly folklore, superstition and malicious gossip are the shamefully used by women to tear other women down. Oona is a spirited, rebellious child who sees that her only way to truly live is to leave the island.
.
The dual timeline structure works very well, with adult Oona realising that her experiences on the island have left her traumatised, struggling to connect with those she holds dearest and realising that she will have to confront her pain.
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This is an alluring, soulful and poignant debut about sibling love, motherhood, identity, memory and loss. I found some of the scenes painful to read as they resonated with me but that’s always the sign of a well written novel! There are some trigger warnings which I’ll pop in the comments as they’d be spoilery! I’m really looking forward to reading more from talented @molly.aitken .
.
When Oona emigrates from the island of Enis to Canada, leaving behind everything she has ever known, she thinks that she can close the door on her past. She has struggled to burst free from a paternalistic community, where men have relative freedom and girls must stay at home to be protected by their mothers. Womanhood is portrayed as a curse and certainly folklore, superstition and malicious gossip are the shamefully used by women to tear other women down. Oona is a spirited, rebellious child who sees that her only way to truly live is to leave the island.
.
The dual timeline structure works very well, with adult Oona realising that her experiences on the island have left her traumatised, struggling to connect with those she holds dearest and realising that she will have to confront her pain.
.
This is an alluring, soulful and poignant debut about sibling love, motherhood, identity, memory and loss. I found some of the scenes painful to read as they resonated with me but that’s always the sign of a well written novel! There are some trigger warnings which I’ll pop in the comments as they’d be spoilery! I’m really looking forward to reading more from talented @molly.aitken .
Did Not Finish
September 10, 2020I see all the good reviews... this should be my cold weather island catnip but I'm struggling to connect with it... letting it go for now.
January 25, 2020
*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.
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.
February 9, 2020
“The stitched squares of my past are worn thin, like the fields of the island, leached by time. What a burden I sewed for my child. All my history in each piece of fabric and no words to explain the weight of each scrap or what it means.”
‘The Island Child’ by Molly Aitken swept me up like a thundering wave and didn’t let me go. Reading this felt like I was picking up a favourite childhood tale - a deeply tactile world touched with myth and wild beauty - but with a bruising adult darkness. It’s a novel about repression and trauma, about being a mother and a daughter, and of the pains and pleasures of storytelling.
I was reminded of some of Alice Hoffman’s works, in their focus on female pain and on mothers who make mistakes and whose healing doesn’t come easily, and in the gorgeous rain-lashed descriptions of the island and the whistling trees of the forest where Oona finds herself as an adult. The prose is wonderful, prickly and rich, and the short chapters flicking back and forwards through time push the narrative onwards.
A book to read under a blanket during a storm.
‘The Island Child’ by Molly Aitken swept me up like a thundering wave and didn’t let me go. Reading this felt like I was picking up a favourite childhood tale - a deeply tactile world touched with myth and wild beauty - but with a bruising adult darkness. It’s a novel about repression and trauma, about being a mother and a daughter, and of the pains and pleasures of storytelling.
I was reminded of some of Alice Hoffman’s works, in their focus on female pain and on mothers who make mistakes and whose healing doesn’t come easily, and in the gorgeous rain-lashed descriptions of the island and the whistling trees of the forest where Oona finds herself as an adult. The prose is wonderful, prickly and rich, and the short chapters flicking back and forwards through time push the narrative onwards.
A book to read under a blanket during a storm.
January 30, 2020
'I couldn't put words to the waves that drowned my mind.'
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Oona grew up on the Island of Inis, spending most of her childhood wishing to escape. In the present day, she must return to the island and face her demons.
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You should read this book. I finished it over a week ago but Oona and her story are still rooted deep inside of me. This one really leaves a mark on the soul, you get so lost in in her life; the trauma she goes through will stay with me for a very long time. The fact that this is Aitken's debut is just unbelievable to me, it is so perfect. With constant themes of the ocean, you feel as if the Island is always with Oona, that she can truly never escape it.
.
This one is out now, thank you so much to Canongate to letting me be on this blog tour and thank you also to Molly Aitken. I can't wait to read everything you write in the future.
.
Oona grew up on the Island of Inis, spending most of her childhood wishing to escape. In the present day, she must return to the island and face her demons.
.
You should read this book. I finished it over a week ago but Oona and her story are still rooted deep inside of me. This one really leaves a mark on the soul, you get so lost in in her life; the trauma she goes through will stay with me for a very long time. The fact that this is Aitken's debut is just unbelievable to me, it is so perfect. With constant themes of the ocean, you feel as if the Island is always with Oona, that she can truly never escape it.
.
This one is out now, thank you so much to Canongate to letting me be on this blog tour and thank you also to Molly Aitken. I can't wait to read everything you write in the future.
February 5, 2021
I almost didn't rate it. I "did not like it." The writer has considerable skill and promise, great promise, or perhaps she is merely clever.
The author is young and her editors didn't know enough to correct her few errors. They so rarely do. But if readers come to the book more interested in seeing others' suffering than is seeing how they recover from tragedy, they will not feel about the book the way I do. Hence many high ratings.
The three-way timeline did not work particularly well for me because it felt so much like a gimmick, a way of delaying the reader. The past, the present, and the mythology. The three threads only make sense at the very end, but that means that for hundreds of pages, the shifts exist merely to tantalize the reader. The line-up of tragedies is comprehensive—no wars or serial killers but just about everything else that could conceivably trigger—consider yourself warned.
When I was nearing the end, I nearly put it down and walked away. I understood that the author would not explore recovery at all, that she was only interested in the fall. By withholding the most terrible events to the end, she creates a tension that often fails to work for this reader. That withholding of an essential event (or several events in this novel) is also found in The Sparrow and Prince of Tides, neither of which worked for me. On the other hand, I have enjoyed other books that shift timelines. This is not the best of them.
LATE thoughts: I did forget to mention the abomination of a cover, which used a famous painter's work and crayoned in a whale's tail (?), though this had nothing, really nothing to do with the story. The cover designer should be punished for that. There is another cover and that one also has a larger whale's tail which still doesn't really connect in any meaningful way to the story. The mythological aspects are imaginary. [ironic?] I had to take off the dustcover to read it.
And that "power to shape our destinies" line from the blurb above—total trash. The book offered only lies to replace inevitable disaster. They can pretend there is a point to the suffering, but no. No one shapes their destiny in this novel. They are all victims. I wonder now if the author understood the deeply cynical message of her own novel?
The author is young and her editors didn't know enough to correct her few errors. They so rarely do. But if readers come to the book more interested in seeing others' suffering than is seeing how they recover from tragedy, they will not feel about the book the way I do. Hence many high ratings.
The three-way timeline did not work particularly well for me because it felt so much like a gimmick, a way of delaying the reader. The past, the present, and the mythology. The three threads only make sense at the very end, but that means that for hundreds of pages, the shifts exist merely to tantalize the reader. The line-up of tragedies is comprehensive—no wars or serial killers but just about everything else that could conceivably trigger—consider yourself warned.
When I was nearing the end, I nearly put it down and walked away. I understood that the author would not explore recovery at all, that she was only interested in the fall. By withholding the most terrible events to the end, she creates a tension that often fails to work for this reader. That withholding of an essential event (or several events in this novel) is also found in The Sparrow and Prince of Tides, neither of which worked for me. On the other hand, I have enjoyed other books that shift timelines. This is not the best of them.
LATE thoughts: I did forget to mention the abomination of a cover, which used a famous painter's work and crayoned in a whale's tail (?), though this had nothing, really nothing to do with the story. The cover designer should be punished for that. There is another cover and that one also has a larger whale's tail which still doesn't really connect in any meaningful way to the story. The mythological aspects are imaginary. [ironic?] I had to take off the dustcover to read it.
And that "power to shape our destinies" line from the blurb above—total trash. The book offered only lies to replace inevitable disaster. They can pretend there is a point to the suffering, but no. No one shapes their destiny in this novel. They are all victims. I wonder now if the author understood the deeply cynical message of her own novel?
February 7, 2020
What a glorious read this book is!
Steeped in Irish Folklore the prose in this book is stunning!
The story itself is set around Oona a child born on the Island and flits between her as a child and her as a mother.
It looks a lot at Motherhood both the relationship between Oona and her Mother and herself as a Mother to Joyce.
I related in a lot of ways to Oona shes such a free spirit and found her super likeable.
I loved the darkness and myth surrounding this beautiful tale of what it was like to grow up on this Island where Women stay home and the men go out to catch fish and hunt.
I loved the sense of rebellion from Oona and her natural curiosity that dominated her life.
This book is so rich in language and the world building is excellent. One of the best books I've read regarding folklore.
Steeped in Irish Folklore the prose in this book is stunning!
The story itself is set around Oona a child born on the Island and flits between her as a child and her as a mother.
It looks a lot at Motherhood both the relationship between Oona and her Mother and herself as a Mother to Joyce.
I related in a lot of ways to Oona shes such a free spirit and found her super likeable.
I loved the darkness and myth surrounding this beautiful tale of what it was like to grow up on this Island where Women stay home and the men go out to catch fish and hunt.
I loved the sense of rebellion from Oona and her natural curiosity that dominated her life.
This book is so rich in language and the world building is excellent. One of the best books I've read regarding folklore.
August 10, 2020
A fog of melancholic and otherworldly milieu, Molly Aitken offers a view into the isolation of island living and the bleaker side of childhood trauma—which can't always be escaped. Though at first The Island Child captured my interest and the lyrical writing satisfied my predilection for a literary writing style, as the pages flipped forward it became hard to mark the difference between sporadic transitions of past and present, just as it became more difficult to rediscover my initial interest in Oona's character or the overall story. I found Oona's tale nearly hopeless and without hope I could not root for or against her, nor for any real change in her circumstance. Though the Aitken's literary voice was truly resplendent, I found her gift of plot and character wanting. An author to watch, I look forward to watching her work evolve in any future publications.
August 10, 2020
I really liked the start of The Island Child, but I felt it lost its way a little bit towards the middle once Oona left the island. I loved her upbringing and her complicated relationship with her mother. I think I just went into this book with expectations and they weren’t really met, I thought the book was light fantasy but it was too realistic I couldn’t understand the fantasy element.
The writing for this book was impressive but I struggled with a few elements including Oona and Pat’s relationship, I just don’t understand why he would stick with it, I just didn’t understand the relationship at all. I think it was also fairly obvious who Joyce’s father was. The story was interesting but something just didn’t fully connect me to the book.
The writing for this book was impressive but I struggled with a few elements including Oona and Pat’s relationship, I just don’t understand why he would stick with it, I just didn’t understand the relationship at all. I think it was also fairly obvious who Joyce’s father was. The story was interesting but something just didn’t fully connect me to the book.
May 28, 2020
My review is probably biased, but I don't care. I'm growing to despise novels that alternate chapters between two eras. The main character is a naive child, the main character is a mature adult, back and forth. Information that is vital to the present-day character isn't revealed until nearly the end of the book. I've said it's like being forced to read a book and it's sequel at the same time. The writing and story are fine, but I hope this trend - which almost always detracts from the story rather than enhancing it - dies soon.
July 4, 2020
"Bare legs hadn’t mattered the summer before, when I was still thirteen, but being fourteen and no longer at school meant wearing clothes with shame to hide my body like all women must."
This book is about women and for women. The feelings, the secrets, the shames, the pressures.
This book is about how much of a burden being a woman is, it is poignant and emotionally draining.
"I’d seen that if you spoke your bitterness it spread and grew in others too."
"‘Here.’ She handed me a piece of cloth. ‘Put it in your knickers to catch the blood. There’s more. You’ll wash them at the end of the day.’
She stopped in the doorway, her back to me. ‘It’s the curse on all women. We all bear the shame. You’ll suffer it now like the rest of us.’
Being a woman meant I was red. Shame buried deep in me. I pulled the blanket over my head and curled in a ball."
This book is about women and for women. The feelings, the secrets, the shames, the pressures.
This book is about how much of a burden being a woman is, it is poignant and emotionally draining.
"I’d seen that if you spoke your bitterness it spread and grew in others too."
"‘Here.’ She handed me a piece of cloth. ‘Put it in your knickers to catch the blood. There’s more. You’ll wash them at the end of the day.’
She stopped in the doorway, her back to me. ‘It’s the curse on all women. We all bear the shame. You’ll suffer it now like the rest of us.’
Being a woman meant I was red. Shame buried deep in me. I pulled the blanket over my head and curled in a ball."
August 28, 2020
This was a thorny read for me. Though not because it's bad or because of any flaws in the author's writing or storytelling.
The story is set on an island off the west coast of Ireland, called Inis. The island in the novel is fictional, but the model for it is a place where I used to live, Inis Oirr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. Down to details like a castle ruin on a hill, a shipwreck, a cave, a beach, a lighthouse, proximity to Galway and Clare, a new pier, and a leaning on tourism for livelihood (rather than the traditional fishing and farming) by the book's end. There are a couple physical characteristics that seem borrowed from the other two Aran Islands, like the cliffs of Inis Mor. And the neighboring fictional island in the novel, Eag, a smaller, abandoned island, seems taken from the Blaskets. But otherwise, anyone who's been to Inis Oirr will recognize it in this novel's "Inis."
So it was hard for me to get into the story as much as a reader who might be coming to the setting as a purely imaginative place. I kept comparing the likelihood of certain plot turns in the book with the community and history of the people I know on the real island.
The story is pretty bleak. There seems to be nothing positive about the island community. On the one hand, I found this refreshing. Islands like the Aran Islands are over-idealized (and dehumanized) in many people's imaginations and narratives. They're typically portrayed as idyllic places where nothing bad ever happens (in terms of social problems) and no one has any personal challenges or complexities other than living amongst the elements and losing family and neighbors to the sea. They're never touched by the larger world beyond the island community. It's total escapist fantasy, not to mention a tired and dull kind of narrative.
But every once in awhile, something comes along like Synge's Playboy (which was shocking for its time) or Martin McDonagh's island-set plays or this novel by Molly Aitken--something that portrays island people as flawed and struggling with more problems than "the murderous sea" blah blah. In this novel, all sorts of issues like misogyny, isolation, homophobia, trauma and PTSD, rape, abortion, and AIDS are thrown into the mix with the usual island drownings, sea storms, village gossips, matchmakings, and Celtic-Catholic superstitions.
Again, seeing some of these issues placed in a story set on a place that's usually portrayed as being "innocent" of or "unspoiled by" a lot of these social problems was refreshing and even kind of thrilling for me. It brought out a lot of emotions in me, memories of things I experienced or witnessed on the island that no one wanted to talk about years ago or admit to even existing, much less being a problem.
Yet, sometimes I think the story was a bit heavy-handed. Like, jeez, it wasn't THAT bad on these islands back then. Some elements of the plot seemed contrived (like Oona's marriage--a big thing to not leave the reader convinced of). But overall, I think the book simply suffered from what many first novels suffer from--just trying to take on too much, tackle too many ideas in one shot.
Otherwise, I think this is a good first novel and a refreshing challenge to the tired idealized narratives about Irish island and rural communities.
The story is set on an island off the west coast of Ireland, called Inis. The island in the novel is fictional, but the model for it is a place where I used to live, Inis Oirr, the smallest of the Aran Islands. Down to details like a castle ruin on a hill, a shipwreck, a cave, a beach, a lighthouse, proximity to Galway and Clare, a new pier, and a leaning on tourism for livelihood (rather than the traditional fishing and farming) by the book's end. There are a couple physical characteristics that seem borrowed from the other two Aran Islands, like the cliffs of Inis Mor. And the neighboring fictional island in the novel, Eag, a smaller, abandoned island, seems taken from the Blaskets. But otherwise, anyone who's been to Inis Oirr will recognize it in this novel's "Inis."
So it was hard for me to get into the story as much as a reader who might be coming to the setting as a purely imaginative place. I kept comparing the likelihood of certain plot turns in the book with the community and history of the people I know on the real island.
The story is pretty bleak. There seems to be nothing positive about the island community. On the one hand, I found this refreshing. Islands like the Aran Islands are over-idealized (and dehumanized) in many people's imaginations and narratives. They're typically portrayed as idyllic places where nothing bad ever happens (in terms of social problems) and no one has any personal challenges or complexities other than living amongst the elements and losing family and neighbors to the sea. They're never touched by the larger world beyond the island community. It's total escapist fantasy, not to mention a tired and dull kind of narrative.
But every once in awhile, something comes along like Synge's Playboy (which was shocking for its time) or Martin McDonagh's island-set plays or this novel by Molly Aitken--something that portrays island people as flawed and struggling with more problems than "the murderous sea" blah blah. In this novel, all sorts of issues like misogyny, isolation, homophobia, trauma and PTSD, rape, abortion, and AIDS are thrown into the mix with the usual island drownings, sea storms, village gossips, matchmakings, and Celtic-Catholic superstitions.
Again, seeing some of these issues placed in a story set on a place that's usually portrayed as being "innocent" of or "unspoiled by" a lot of these social problems was refreshing and even kind of thrilling for me. It brought out a lot of emotions in me, memories of things I experienced or witnessed on the island that no one wanted to talk about years ago or admit to even existing, much less being a problem.
Yet, sometimes I think the story was a bit heavy-handed. Like, jeez, it wasn't THAT bad on these islands back then. Some elements of the plot seemed contrived (like Oona's marriage--a big thing to not leave the reader convinced of). But overall, I think the book simply suffered from what many first novels suffer from--just trying to take on too much, tackle too many ideas in one shot.
Otherwise, I think this is a good first novel and a refreshing challenge to the tired idealized narratives about Irish island and rural communities.
January 27, 2020
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.
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.
July 9, 2021
Have you ever tried to watch television with someone who has the remote and keeps changing the channel ever few seconds? Each story begins, but is never completely told, and is interrupted just as you start to become interested. Reading this book is like that. The author skips from the past to the a more present time (although the actual time of the story is unstated and unclear) to some mythological snippets. It makes one long for coherence, consistency, and chronology.
Another problem is the building of the characters. The major characters are not likable. One doesn't root for the young Oona, who has been alienated from her controlling mother and who is enamored of a woman she believes to be a witch; or for her mother or father; or for her daughter, the result of a rape of Oona; or for her brother, a homosexual in love with a violent man; or the "witch" who has an adulterous affair with a married man. I felt sorry for the man Michael, whom Oona calls Patrick, who cares for Oona, but his love is not returned. So why should I care about any of these characters?
As a writer, the author has a wonderful way of using metaphors, similes, and creative descriptions. However, she needs to work on her narrative framework if she wants the reader to care about her stories.
One point strikes me, but I may be way off base. Ireland, the adopted home of the author, is a deeply religious place. But this narrator and protagonist rejects religion completely. She looks for salvation in the arms of the "witch" in the neighborhood until that woman commits adultery and commits suicide. She never finds meaning again. She rejects her mother's religion, claiming that she heard nothing from the Virgin or from God, the local priest is abusive, and her father is agnostic. Yet, throughout the rest of Oona's life, she struggles to find value, meaning, and especially love in her life and in the lives of those around her.
As a result of having no structure in Oona's life, she cannot love those around her. The story is the same, it has no underpinning values. So, it feels like a building with no framed structure beneath, just awaiting a strong, unfriendly wind to dismantle it.
So, this novel was pleasant to read, decorative, as it described some of the events in it. However, there is no meat to the story, nothing to sink one's teeth into, nothing to really embrace or love about the writing.
Another problem is the building of the characters. The major characters are not likable. One doesn't root for the young Oona, who has been alienated from her controlling mother and who is enamored of a woman she believes to be a witch; or for her mother or father; or for her daughter, the result of a rape of Oona; or for her brother, a homosexual in love with a violent man; or the "witch" who has an adulterous affair with a married man. I felt sorry for the man Michael, whom Oona calls Patrick, who cares for Oona, but his love is not returned. So why should I care about any of these characters?
As a writer, the author has a wonderful way of using metaphors, similes, and creative descriptions. However, she needs to work on her narrative framework if she wants the reader to care about her stories.
One point strikes me, but I may be way off base. Ireland, the adopted home of the author, is a deeply religious place. But this narrator and protagonist rejects religion completely. She looks for salvation in the arms of the "witch" in the neighborhood until that woman commits adultery and commits suicide. She never finds meaning again. She rejects her mother's religion, claiming that she heard nothing from the Virgin or from God, the local priest is abusive, and her father is agnostic. Yet, throughout the rest of Oona's life, she struggles to find value, meaning, and especially love in her life and in the lives of those around her.
As a result of having no structure in Oona's life, she cannot love those around her. The story is the same, it has no underpinning values. So, it feels like a building with no framed structure beneath, just awaiting a strong, unfriendly wind to dismantle it.
So, this novel was pleasant to read, decorative, as it described some of the events in it. However, there is no meat to the story, nothing to sink one's teeth into, nothing to really embrace or love about the writing.
January 17, 2021
With atmospheric, poignant prose the author tells a tale of a girl born on a fictional tiny Irish island where the community is poor and heavily religious, education and job opportunities are limited (especially for the female population), and the children are unable to be anything different from the "norm" for fear of becoming an outcast. The girl grows up with a cruel and narrow-minded mother who is borderline obsessed with the church and the belief women are inherently evil and born sinners. The tale shows you how growing up in this community (and the hypocrisy of it) effects the main character (and others) through her entire life. I can scarcely comprehend how much physical and emotional abuse she suffered.
This book was... emotional. Heavy. At times difficult to read for its bleakness. The author did a fantastic job of pulling me into Oona's narrative and making me really feel how desperate and alone and depressed she was. It's going to haunt me for a while.
This book was... emotional. Heavy. At times difficult to read for its bleakness. The author did a fantastic job of pulling me into Oona's narrative and making me really feel how desperate and alone and depressed she was. It's going to haunt me for a while.
March 18, 2020
This is a lot different to the books I usually read but I actually really enjoyed it!
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