Ahoy there me mateys! For those of ye who are new to me log, a word: though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. Occasionally, I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were.

This novel captured me fancy when I read a post from yvonne @ it’s all about books stating that it is a modern Robinson Crusoe type tale wherein two people end up on a deserted island and struggle to survive. Now bein’ a pirate Captain and all, I find books about shipwrecks and deserted islands to be extremely fascinatin’. I was thrilled to give this one a look-see.

In this tale, a French architect named Sophie and an American ex-banker named Barry find themselves stranded on a small island after a plane crash. The only problem is that the uninhabited island is “some 2,359 miles from Hawaii, 4,622 miles from Chile, and 533 miles from the nearest living soul.”

This was an engaging tale from the beginning, and I read this in one sitting. Sophie and Barry are seemingly opposites at first glance but their need for each other to survive slowly allows their commonalities to shine through. The growth and dreams they exhibit are lovely. I particularly loved how these two communicated in both their highs and lows. And of course how and what they did to survive was fascinating in its own right.

The writing style of this novel was lovely. Interspersed with the story of survival are brief but beautiful glimpses into other places and times. Ye get the history of the island and the Polynesians who visited it. Ye get an idea of other castaways from the past. There is backstory of the doomed pilot and his mistakes that led to the present. These forays enriched the understanding and depth of the central story of Sophie and Barry. The eventual explanation and unfolding of the meaning of the novel’s title was mesmerizing and heart-wrenching.

I am so very glad to have this novel imprinted on me heart. Truly me words are inadequate.

So lastly . . .

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Thomas Dunne Books!

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for me thoughts. Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com/