by T.C. Boyle, 2013. Paperback, 384 pages.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Just off the coast of Southern California, two families—one in the late 1880s and one in the 1930s—come to desolate, windswept San Miguel Island (now part of Channel Islands National Park) in search of self-reliance, freedom, and a new start in their lives.
In failing health, Marantha Waters arrives with her husband, a stubborn Civil War veteran who plans to take over the island’s sheep ranch. Some forty years later, Elise Lester settles the island with her husband, a World War I veteran full of manic energy. Both Marantha and Elise strive to help their husbands pursue their dreams but must themselves grapple with the more nebulous hardships of raising a family in brutal isolation.
