Recommended: yep
for honestly 100% excellent characters, for a warmly imagined island community

Thoughts: 
Wow, I'm really surprised by how much I liked this. Even though it was a book I featured as when I was excited to read when it came out, I had some worries that it would be overly literary or serious and end up boring the crap out of me. None of that happened thankfully! 

The other concern I had was that it would be packed with quirky, two-dimensional eccentric characters who were nothing more than one feature played out for cheap laughs. Once again, none of that happened. In fact I would say the characters are the heart and soul of this whole story, and extremely well done. 

I cared about all of them, even the people I only got maybe a few pages or a story or two of brief exposition about. They were all part of each other's stories, and they all mattered which is impressive to do when you have like 30 people involved somehow in it. Even the dead people mattered! 

That's the book of why I ended up loving this, although the island life that we looked into was entrancing as well. It is certainly by no means painted as idyllic. There are a lot of problems highlighted, and a lot of characters expressing their frustrations or pains with living there whether by choice or not. It's pretty well rounded, but it made it a great place to have the story where the setting felt just as alive and integral. 

And of course, there is the light mystery of the plot that initially drives Charlotte to go there. While it was a thread that was followed, it was a bit meandering and allowed room for her to discover other things. I appreciated that it was acknowledged and worked on, but didn't bash me over the head with "who's my daddy" drama. The way it ended up being handled was not my favorite as it was pretty uncomfortable, but I guess ultimately I'm all right with where it ended up. 

When I finish this book I was sad because I genuinely just didn't want to leave. I think most things were wrapped up at a good way, and I could have ended the story there, but apparently this is a part of a series! I am delighted to hear that because I really want to go back! There is a lot more that could be discussed and discovered, although I think if it had to end at the end of this book it would have resolved enough to be okay. 

Overall, the characters are extremely well done in this and the setting is basically a character all on its own.

Really easy to get into—from world-building of the island and families and current characters (and animals) and so much about women and mothering and community and life. Really loved it.

Charlotte Walker, qualified vet and reptile researcher has taken a posting on a remote island for 12 months. Inaccessible for much of the year she realises Tuga is a mishmash of nationalities and a tight knit community.  
 
A light beachy summer read! The author says she was trying to create a place of lightness in the author info and she's definitely done that! I quite liked the fictional Tuga! Her descriptions of remote community life ring true.  I am a scientist so I did initially pick up this book based on the description and I therefore could not completely suspend disbelief about how Charlotte was conducting her research (poorly and in a very ad hoc manner). Any information about the tortoises was completely glossed over and the ending felt very rushed. I assume there will be a book 2 based on the ending since nothing really felt resolved. 

I also feel that though the book tried to talk about colonialism and issues related with development (which it did do fairly well for health). It was less successful for the ecology side. Several characters point out to Charlotte things wrong with her initial view (and she does take them on board)

I highly doubt that the local Tugans (living there for 300 years) would have missed an ecological link between the tortoise and the palm tree.

Overall an easy read that I did enjoy! This book really shines in painting a vivid description of the environment and in the characters (Taxi and the kids are done particularly well)! 

A final bug bear was

sending a 10 year old to London for an indeterminate amount of time/ boarding school with his seriously ill/opioid addicted mother. He can't make any decisions about her medical care?! And pretty much being alone 1000's of miles away from home trying to deal with someone in withdrawal would be highly difficult for an adult let alone a child??

Love, characters and tortoises. A lovely summer read.

Interesting fictional island.  Hoping book 2 fleshes out the locals’ characters, and downplays the vet and doctor!