As young children who had clamoured down caves and followed the footsteps of Eve's geologist father, both Eve Swango and Tommy Baca developed a fascination and respect for the joys of caving. While they both loved living at the Viento Constante in New Mexico which Eve's father had bought to be near interesting caves to explore and his college teaching position; his wife, a former B level movie star and Eve's older half-sister, Cimarron, a beautiful and exotic looking model, were not so equally enamoured. Feeling the brunt of their dysfunctional coping mechanisms, Eve often went off exploring on her own to get away from Cimarron's spite and the embarrassment of her mother's drinking and love of watching herself in old movies.

Tommy always looked out for Eve and the two childhood friends became as close as can be without being lovers and then one fateful day, they do become lovers. But, intertwined with their love is their love for a new cave that was only known to them. As life experiences make things more complex for the lovers and untold secrets form bigger barriers than what they encounter in their explorations, Eve feels that while she can never marry Tommy, she can't let him out of her heart. She never really knows - does he love her or is he only interested in the cave on the Swango land?

Margot Early is a gifted storyteller and has done a superb job in researching the caving culture and the people drawn to this risky, yet rewarding lifestyle. All her characters, both major and secondary, are so believable in their descriptions and actions, despite their uniqueness and diverse lifestyles. As the story is told from the different characters' viewpoints, their complexities are understood and you are quickly drawn into this morass of conflicted emotions. For myself, I would get so frustrated with Eve or Tom on occasion and with some of the dysfunctional nature of their situations, I just wanted to slam the book down. Then, just as quickly, picking it up again just to find out how things were resolved. While I can't guarantee you will always find this an enjoyable read, you certainly will be intrigued by this tale of everlasting love.