This is my first Michael Kortya book and certainly not my last! I really loved the picture of the island that was painted, even though it was described as a depressing run down place. You could see through all the trauma, even Israel and Lyman appreciated the beauty of the islands nature. The bouncing back and forth between Israel and Lyman's point of view helped keep my attention. I loved getting little clues from the dialogue and making those connections for myself without everything being spelled out for me. Great read!