Somewhere not too far in the future, biodiversity loss has advanced catastrophically to a point where not much wildlife remains. Among the persisting species are Arctic terns. These birds migrate further than any other animal and Franny Stone is determined to follow their journey from Greenland to Antarctica, perhaps the last one they’ll ever make. But her only option is to convince people of a dying industry, fishermen, to take her onboard based on the promise that the birds will lead them to fish.

Like Once There Were Wolves, The Last Migration focuses on a current environmental problem viewed through women involved in solving them. Complementing this natural science part, Charlotte McConaghy skillfully uses flashbacks to create tension around the personal history of the main characters. Indeed, both books contain mysteries with unpredictable conclusions. And I really, really love them.