book review: Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg

The backstory: Island of Wings, the debut novel by Karin Altenberg, was on the 2012 Orange Prize longlist.

The basics: Neil Mackenzie, a young minister, and his new wife Lizzie move to the remote island of St. Kilda in 1830. This passage from the first few pages sets the stage beautifully: "Mr. Bethune said gleefully. 'There is no other place in the Empire as remote as St. Kilda, and the inhabitant are as savage as the naked blacks in the King's territories in Australia. I know nothing of their faith, but I tell you this: I'm happy as long as they pay their taxes so that my Lord of the Isles can sleep well in a feather bed.'"

My thoughts: On days like this one, when the temperature will be near 100 degrees, I often joke I would not make a good pioneer woman. Thanks to Island of Wings, I can now also say, I would not make a good minister's wife in 1830's St. Kilda. Fiction transports us to different times and places, but I found with this novel, which I enjoyed very much, I didn't want to be transported to St. Kilda to share in this experience. Instead, I wanted to be a very distant third party and watch a film of it happening.

Altenberg painted St. Kilda quite vividly, but it was so foreign to me, I still found myself seeking visuals of the island, its people, and its customs following passages like this one: "They often make shoes out of the necks of gannets--they cut the head off at the eyes, and the part where the skull serves as the heel of the shoe and the feathers on the throat offer warmth and waterproofing. They generally last a couple of days, but at times there are so many birds that they can wear these disposable socks almost daily." At times, this novel read like non-fiction, but in a good way: I learned so much about this island and its people. While the story of Lizzie and Neil was also good, it wasn't as riveting as the story of St. Kilda.

Favorite passage: "These men are not just living in primitive simplicity--they are as free as most enlightened people can ever dream to be! If St. Kilda is not the Utopia we have sought so long, where will it be found?"

The verdict: Island of Wings is a glimpse into a fascinating place and time. St. Kilda is the true main character, and I remain intrigued by its place in history.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: December 27, 2011 (it's in paperback now)
Source: publisher via NetGalley

Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Island of Wings from an independent bookstore, the Book Depository or Amazon (Kindle version.)

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Comments

  1. I think it's interesting that you wanted to get to know this place from afar. I suppose that is a testament to the writing... so vivid and at times unpleasant that you didn't want to experience it first hand.

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    1. Yes, that's exactly it. I could look at pictures of it for days, but I don't know if I'd actually like to visit. It was stunning though.

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  2. This sounds like my kind of book! Now I'm interested in reading this and learning more about St. Kilda.

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    1. Vasilly, it really was fascinating, detailed historical fiction.

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  3. I actually purchased the Kindle version after Jackie (FarmLaneBooks raved about it. Of course, I still need to read it:)

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    Replies
    1. Diane, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who purchases books for the Kindle and continues to not read them! I hope you enjoy this one when you get to it!

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