Like the old question, if you were stuck in a lifeboat that was too full to float how would you decide who to force overboard?, this book explores the thoughts and alliances and fears and doubts that always exist in the human psyche and grow under the worst of conditions. The novel opens on Grace (a remarkable character in that she is both pragmatic and likable) on trial for murder. What follows is her account of the events on the lifeboat that led up to the death, and the trial that followed. A thought-provoking, fascinating read that will linger long after the book has been put away.