This no Island Paradise

Where I End by Sophie White 

232 pages, expected publication 24 September 2024, Erewhon Books 

Living on an island is meant to be idyllic, a safe harbour away from the mainland where dangers lurk everywhere. For Aoileann her island home is the danger, she is shunned by the local women and children, abused by the men, treated as a house slave by her grandmother and ignored by her father. Her days revolve around the caring of the thing, her mother who has been confined to bed after an incident many years ago. It is an existence of serving the needs of others and her only release is to swim in the sea. It is here that Aoileann meets Rachel and her newborn son Seamus. For the first time Aoileann can see hope but is it possible for her to escape what the island has made her into.  

The story is told from Aoileann’s point of view, she is a very unreliable narrator and as you become more in tune with her world you understand why. With the brutality of her grandmother, the indifference of her father and the dehumanising of the mother, it is no surprise that Aoileann is a complex, twisted character. You are never sure if you should pity, loathe or be terrified of her. For Aoileann, finds herself caught in a situation not of her own choosing and it is not until the end that she is able to understand the reasons why. As a child she is conditioned by the grandmother to no longer acknowledge the existence of her mother but to treat her as a thing, a household chore.  

 You know that her mother has suffered some kind of traumatic incident, while she is immobilised in the bed, there are attempts to flee and indications that she may be quite cognizant of her surroundings and situation. It makes you wonder if she is being held against her will or if it is for her own protection.  The grandmother is a woman bound by duty to her son and does not demonstrate any kindness to Aoileann or her mother.  She has is harsh, steeped in superstition, resentful and has no care as to what her words are doing to Aoileann.  

White has created an atmospheric novel that seeps into your being. From the superstitions of the islanders, the bareness of the island, the sparse living conditions there is nothing attractive about living on this island. White’s style is quite languid, a gentle rhythm that masks the ugly reality of Aoileann world. Littered through the story are moments that are clues to what has been and what may occur. Incidents are exposed that are shocking and demonstrate the worse our intolerance and lack of empathy towards others. White has dived deeply into the ugliest parts of the human psyche, crafted a very grey and ambiguous character in Aoileann that you find yourself hoping will find the light.  

This is a really good read, not a page turner, not a thriller, but an engrossing story about really flawed characters where nothing is as it seems.  

For more on information Sophie White check out her website