Linda was our host this month as we discussed Janet’s book choice, Haven by Emma Donoghue. We were missing three of our group, but Marg, Janet, Colette, Marilyn, Carla and Shirley were there to enjoy the food and wine Linda provided as the book was discussed.
Our club previously read another of Donoghue’s books, The Wonder, so we were familiar with the author’s style of writing. Janet chose the book following a trip to Ireland where she visited the area where the Skellig are found and which is the setting for this stark book.
Ms. Donoghue's books always have well developed characters and a character everybody hates, and this book is true to form. We all come to detest Artt, his meanness, and intransigent attitude. The book is set in the 7th century; Christianity has existed in Europe for only a few hundred years so scholars such as Artt are revered.
Cormac, who came to the monastery and Christianity late in life, sees his selection as a means to be more useful than just prayer, but he is torn by Artt's attitude. He wants to believe God will provide, as Artt tells him, but his life experience leaves him with doubts that they can survive without proper preparation of their own. The innocent but skillful Trian just wants approval and forgiveness, believing that his parents have left him at the monastery to serve as he can.
The description of the landscape, the birds and fauna are extraordinary, as is this author’s signature style. Donoghue’s description of several scenes such as when Trian is capturing the young puffins breaks your heart as it does Trian's. She is excellent in allowing you to visualize scenes and nature.
Mindlessly following any dogma, whether political, cultural, religious, scientific, turning a deaf ear to your inner voice for fear of being outcast will lead one down a dark societal road. In this case, Cormack and Trian doubted, questioned and inherently knew that what was being asked of them was the folly of a delusional egoist.
We are ready to yell "Go for it!" to Cormac when he finally decides he has had enough of Artt and convinces Trian to get in the boat. It gives us a feeling of satisfaction that the good people will survive. And though we don't know for sure if they make it to civilization in the small boat in winter and if Artt finds a way to survive alone, we can make up an end that allows us to believe in the goodness of human nature.
