On a tiny, desolate, windswept island off the coast of
Southern California, two families, one in the 1880s and one
in the 1930s, come to start new lives and pursue dreams of
self-reliance and freedom. Their extraordinary stories, full
of struggle and hope, are the subject of T. C. Boyle’s
haunting new novel.
Thirty-eight-year-old Marantha Waters arrives on San Miguel
on New Year’s Day 1888 to restore her failing health.
Joined by her husband, a stubborn, driven Civil War veteran
who will take over the operation of the sheep ranch on the
island, Marantha strives to persevere in the face of the
hardships, some anticipated and some not, of living in such
brutal isolation. Two years later their adopted teenage
daughter, Edith, an aspiring actress, will exploit every
opportunity to escape the captivity her father has imposed
on her. Time closes in on them all and as the new century
approaches, the ranch stands untenanted. And then in March
1930, Elise Lester, a librarian from New York City, settles
on San Miguel with her husband, Herbie, a World War I
veteran full of manic energy. As the years go on they find
a measure of fulfillment and serenity; Elise gives birth to
two daughters, and the family even achieves a celebrity of
sorts. But will the peace and beauty of the island see them
through the impending war as it had seen them through the
Depression?
Rendered in Boyle’s accomplished, assured voice, with great
period detail and utterly memorable characters, this is a
moving and dramatic work from one of America’s most talented
and inventive storytellers.
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