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The Island Child

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The Island Child

By: Molly Aitken
Narrated by: Aoife McMahon
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About this listen

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. Oona was barely more than a girl, but promised herself she would leave the tall tales behind and never return.

The Island Child tells two stories: 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 . . .

Rich, haunting and rooted in Irish folklore, The Island Child is a spellbinding debut novel about identity and motherhood, freedom and fate, and the healing power of stories.

©2020 Molly Aitken (P)2020 Canongate Books Ltd Coming of Age Family Life Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magic

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All stars
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The best book I’ve listened to in a really long time! It keeps you completely submersed in rich characters and free-flowing story. Feels like getting tossed around in a rough Irish sea. Would recommend to anyone!

Fantastic!

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Really enjoyed this book. A bit overly dramatic in places but I could really imagine Inish and the main characters' life.

Good book

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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 story will haunt me for a while.

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