Short Story Discussion: "Island" (1988) by Alistair MacLeod

Alistair MacLeod (1936–2014) was a celebrated Canadian author best known for his short stories and his 1999 novel No Great Mischief, which won the 2001 International Dublin Literary Award. Before the award, MacLeod had been largely unknown outside his native Canada where his stories were widely read and acclaimed. Born in Saskatchewan and raised in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, his writing is deeply rooted in the rugged landscape, rhythms, and Gaelic heritage of Cape Breton Island. His major works include the short story collections The Lost Salt Gift of Blood (1976) and As Birds Bring Forth the Sun (1986), noted for their lyrical style and rich portrayal of working lives shaped by the sea, tradition, and memory in the midst of unremitting change.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

This is a series of occasional meetups to discuss short stories by various authors. Since 2023, we have read stories by James Joyce, Haruki Murakami, Anton Chekhov, Alice Munro, James Baldwin, Feng Menglong, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Raymond Carver, and others.

This time we will discuss "Island", a 1988 short story by the acclaimed Atlantic Canadian author Alistair MacLeod. The story is about a woman who maintains a lighthouse on an isolated island.

Please read the story in advance (about 40 pages) and bring your thoughts, reactions, queries, and favourite passages to share with us at the discussion.

A pdf copy of the text is available here.