Books on writing say things like "every page must add to the story" or often just "there are no rules". Whether there are or aren’t, Emma Donoghue breaks them in every book and brilliantly. She has written a historical novel about three priests on a desolate island where nothing much happens. But the book is poetic, beautifully written, and fully engaging even though little actually changes. It takes a large part of the book to reach the island in Artt’s dream. Then they write, they build, they fish… but do not much else. Still we are driven to find out, we need to turn the pages to discover why Artt has chosen these ill suited companions.

There are questions and some answers. Not every loose end is tied up, and that’s fine. This is a beautiful book and is ideal if there is some staleness creeping into your reading. You will be lost on a desolate island eating fish and auks eggs and oatcakes, copying biblical texts, and praying at weird hours, believing God will provide.

Hard to describe and difficult to put down. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

Ireland in the 7th century. A fanatical monk sees a vision calling him to establish a new monastery on isolated Skellig Michael. Taking along two other monks, the three eventually arrive on the island and attempt to survive against all odds, their trust that God will provide inevitably failing them. Things go from bad to worse, not least because the monk whose ill-conceived project it is turns out to be not just fanatical but also a sadist. We follow the men as they battle against the elements, lack of food and loneliness whilst trying to forge a haven for themselves, all inevitably doomed to failure. It’s a potentially interesting premise and initially I enjoyed the journey but the narrative soon becomes repetitive and I lost interest, whilst mentally urging the two relatively sane monks to abandon their leader and get the hell out of there. The ending was unsatisfying, and the twist in the tale seemed added just to try and make the story have some kind of contemporary relevance. Disappointing.

In seventh-century Ireland, a priest and two monks set off along the Shannon River to find an isolated island with plans of founding a monastery. They discover the challenging, barren and exposed island Skellig Michael, with its harsh landscape and unforgiving climate. With only wild birds and each other for company, this is their story of faith and survival.

Like Donoghue's other work, Haven has unforgettable characters that will definitely stay with me. This is a quiet and humble novel, and a beautiful character study; fans of plot driven novels, or those that need a fast pace, you may want to give this one a miss, because this one is slow... and I mean really slow. In the absolute best way.

Sometimes a novel can feel like it's dragging its feet, like it has a point to make and it ought to just get on with it, but Haven is an example where the slowness adds to the greater whole. This story has to be told slowly, it cannot be rushed. These are not rushed sorts of characters. The moments of silence, of contemplation, of quiet worship; these are the moments that build throughout the novel, that create the atmosphere, and teach us so much about who these people are.

This absolutely will not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I was even a little emotional by the end.

Beautifully written account of three monks in 7th Century Ireland. The slow pace suited a book on travel during this period and leant itself to musings on questions of faith.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

I’m not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me.

Haven recounts the journey of three 7th century Irish monks bound to create a new community in which to worship and the realities of the life they face in their new ‘haven’. It is also a great deal more, leaving me with much to think about. I applaud the research which must have been necessary to write in such detail. However I struggled with the use of the present tense and the modern feel to the writing. Perhaps this explains why the sense of place that others found to be strong was missing for me. An unusual book and one I am glad to have read. My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity.

I love Emma Donoghue’s writing, it is always so beautiful and the stories capture the imagination. I think she has quietly become one of my must read authors. This story is a very slow, thoughtful and meandering tale set on a remote 7th century Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

A different read than I was expecting but definitely thought provoking and full of intrigue. I enjoyed every aspect and the open ending left me thinking

Beautifully written, Emma Donoghue portrays the relationship between three monks. Artt, their Prior, has a dream of a journey to an uninhabited island and the two monks he dreams accompanies him are Trian and Cormac.
Artt is portrayed as a holy man who devotes himself entirely to God and Trian and Cormac follow his every bidding.
As the story progresses Trian and Cormac are unable to always agree with Artt's demands but do their best to comply. Their abilities are essential to the success of the life on this deserted island. It becomes more obvious as the story continues that Artt has an ulterior motive and is more concerned with his autonomy than doing the will of God, I believe.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Emma Donoghue/Pan Macmillan for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In the 7th-C a prior and two monks set out to found a retreat on a rocky island, far from the temptations of man.
A beautifully drawn, character led and engrossing examination of the conflict between faith and pragmatism re #NetGalley #EmmaDonoghue #picadorbooks #Haven

Very talented and accomplished writer strikes again with this amazing read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Faith in and love of God are everything to Artt, but faith in and love of his fellow travellers not so much, leading me to fear that Haven would end in tragedy.

Trian and Cormac live strictured lives and work hard for their Prior, but inside they are kind, they are humble, they are funny. Artt is not.

A timeless 'boys' ' own adventure and beautifully written.

I was relieved to see in the afterword that the Great Auk survived for centuries after the period this book is set.

If you enjoy this book, read Eden by Jim Crace too

As a fan of the author I was eager to read this book. However, after 20% I’m afraid this was a DNF.

The plot held no interest for me and there was no suspense or intrigue about what might happen. The characters are two-dimensional and not interesting or likeable enough to follow through. I really couldn’t see where this was going at all. The pace is extremely slow with a lot of description of the landscape etc.

Too slow for me!

Well, I sneaked this into #shortyseptember and I enjoyed it! Finished it last weekend and still thinking about it: HAVEN by Emma Donoghue.

It is slow, very slow and detailed. I loved the contrast of the tiny island they land on and the tiny things of daily life with the fundamental nature of what they are doing, their internal life of each character and obviously the "conflict" between them. (If you can call it a "conflict" living together with a fundamentalist under such extreme and isolated conditions...) Seeing how each of the brothers sees their world differently, each from the place he was placed in, was excellently done. A thoroughly atmospheric read!

Slight caveat might be (and why it's probably not a five-star-read for me) is that I'm not quite confident in its historical details and choice of language at points. But these are minor criticisms. I'd still firmly recommend it! 😊

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc!

WE all go through life thinking there must be something better than this, and in 7th Century Ireland a stranger arrives at a monastery seeking 2 monks to travel with him after he'd had a dream that God was sending him on a special mission to find a retreat on an uninhabited island.

The premise is fascinating, and the early part of this story with the very different characters setting off together was so intriguing. These are men looking for a purpose, and what better purpose than a calling from God, thanks to this stranger Art. On the journey conditions are basic and there's time for them to reflect on their life experiences and you can't but admire them for their convictions.

For me the story started to fall a little flat when they reached the Island. They had to stick together to survive but that's when it seemed to run out of puff, so to speak. The idealogy of why they were travelling began to turn into power corrupting Art and he asserting himself over the others. There is hardship but they accept it no problem, and you get the impression that it's just time spent with yourself that gives you the inner peace and time to make sense of everything. It's not the place that grants you serenity, but your own mind and acceptance of your own actions.

It was a slow pace read and intriguing characters make it a story that makes you stop and think.

If ‘The Pull of the Stars’ was Emma Donoghue’s covid novel, ‘Haven’ is her lockdown bubble novel.

Three Irish clerics at the turn of the 7th century seek a haven where they can live purely, on their own “lonely hill” are so well delineated: bereaved, practical Cormac; confused, gangly young Trian; and resolute Artt, who sweeps them up in his mission, and is considered by fellow clerics to be a living saint.

The novel raises important questions: when does being single-minded shade into obsession, even madness? At what point is loyalty stupidity? Why do the religious see humanity’s ingenuity and resourcefulness as signs of God’s favour and grace? Are animals put on earth for our use?

The story of their quest is both an adventure story and a mystery as the three men live their lives on a harsh island (whose haven is it anyway?), battling the elements, until Trian’s secret is eventually revealed. It also has a sense of being an early version of ‘Scouting for Boys’ – the author has certainly one her research on early mediaeval ironmongery and boats!

If you'd told me I would enjoy a novel set about three clerics navigating the south-west tip of Ireland to set up a completely isolated religious community far from “the grasping world”, and enjoy it so much that I promptly reread it, I wouldn’t have believed you. But ‘Haven’ entertained, engaged and educated me.

Donoghue tackles a historical novel set in 7th century Ireland based on religious lore. There is the intensity of her previous novels (like Room) with a similar central device of isolation creating a microcosm with which to view humanity..

Three monks set out to live away from the wider world so that they can truly commune with God and create a new monastery. Accepting the prescribed hierarchy Trian and Cormac follow the teachings of Artt as they begin their adventure together. However, the purpose of their endeavour and their ultimate survival quickly brings conflict and discourse as the correct 'way' is questioned.

Haven is a profound read with an acute sense of place, sharing in the extremes of the geography that the priests find themselves in. At times both deeply moving and disturbing, Haven raises questions of faith in extremity.

What an unusual story.
I found this book very difficult to get into, the journey from the monastery to the island took up a quarter of the book, the journey was well described and traumatic but overly long for me. When the three monks finally land in the island, the prior Artt takes charge as expected. The Prior takes his instructions from God and makes harsh rules about their day to day life. All three are starving and the two monks can barely survive.
I found the day to day struggles interesting also a wealth of knowledge about architecture, food and. Bird life.

In 7th century Ireland, three monks leave a monastery to take on a journey unlike any other they have done. Eventually, following days on the river Shannon, the discover an isolated island perfect to found a new monastery - that on Skellig Michael. The three men, one old, two young, begin their new lives trying to exist on a bare scrap of land with only puffins for company. Will they survive the wilderness, and each other?

I'm so disappointed to say this book just didn't really do it for me at all - I found this one a tough read to connect to, and feel engaged with. I normally love Emma Donoghue's writing and I really loved how she used this story to not only travel way back into Irish history but explore religious fervor and idolatry, isolation and survival. But I think the story itself, and some of the characters just really left me wanting - I'm not a religious person but grew up going to church like many an Irish child, and I have religious family members but the religious sacraments and rituals in this left me feeling a bit bored, and while I enjoyed the different characters in the three monks, I also feel like we never really got to know them either.

My favourite character was probably Cormac, a quiet, older man who came to the religious life very late having lost a wife and children, and almost dying in various Clan battles. From his stories that all linked into Irish mythology to the tender way he looked after Trian, and eventually standing up to Artt's ridiculous ways, he was my stand up guy in this.

I found Artt very hard to read at times as he went from okay, to bad to worse. There's nothing I hate more than men heavy with religious pride using the 'god will provide' and 'look what god gave us' when it's actually just hard work that results in progress. It's kind of like the 7th century version of manifesting. I ended up becoming really angry and frustrated at Artt for all the other men, and religious people, who have acted in similar ways and think they are always right.

Trian was a lovely character and while I was convinced he may have been a woman in disguise for a large portion of the book, I'm not sure what we were suppose to do with the (view spoiler). It was really just used as a catalyst for Artt's nastiness to come out and Cormac finally standing up to him and that was it. I would have liked more exploration and discussion around the topic and possibly have it more clear but I'm not really sure what to think to be honest.

Also on a side note, for some reason I found the slaughter of the birds and chicks really hard to stomach in this one. I think because they had been left in peace for so long and suddenly these horrible men come and literally rob the babies from the nests, it was a tough one for me.

The writing in this was good like I would expect from this author. It just wasn't one for me unfortunately.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I love Emma Donoghue's books usually and although this was written beautifully unfortunately this wasn't for me.
3 monks travel to a remote island as it is God's plan for them, once on the island they go about making it their home and that's it pretty much. I found it very dull and was really hoping something would happen to liven it up. It wouldn't stop me reading another of her novels but this just wasn't my cup of tea.