This novel follows the inhabitants of a small East-Coast island, a tourist destination in summer and a slow local hamlet during all other seasons. Centred around the Osprey Island Lodge, the book begins with the illustration of several dysfunctional small-town characters: Suzy Chizek, a single mother whose parents Bud and Nancy own the lodge, and who has come back for the summer to work; Roddy Jacobs, recently returned to live on the island with his eccentric mother Eden after having stayed away for almost 20 years; Lorna and Lance Squire, the drunken and volatile couple who are at best, neglectful to their 8-year-old son Squee, and at worst, abusive to him.

The stage is set for tragedy, and it happens when Lorna dies in a laundry room fire she has accidentally set while drunk. The remainder of the book (which I must confess I skimmed, but didn't read) follows the events that unfold, and reveals the secrets held by each of these characters. And the secrets are easily as dramatic as the characters' lives: rape, affairs between a teenage girl and a respected island resident, pregnancies, abortions obtained through one of the islanders.

With such a density of scandal, it is ironic that the characters are at best portrayed as two-dimensional. There are essential characteristics that each carries, and they do not fundamentally change as people; Suzy's bad relationship with her father isn't just due to old misunderstandings but because her father is a Bad Man who has done Bad Things. Eden Jacobs is a principled old hippie, who responds to all situations with the most ethical action possible. The island itself is made into a mysterious place that residents can't leave -- but for which they will suffer greatly. This all results in a stiff reading experience, and I stopped reading part way through to skip ahead and find out the plot intrigues. The writing is clear and imagistic, but the description is often misplaced; for example, when Lorna, recovering from a hangover on a sunny morning, wishes "the light were like the stiffness of a new pair of shoes, and she closed her eyes and tried to imagine breaking it in." This passage continues tracing Lorna's thoughts, which are so blunt in their metaphor they read false, particularly for a character who is so self-deceptive: "Squee belonged in the light, an angel child [...] To stay with Squee in the sun she'd have to vow never to take another drink. Never look at Lance again, b ecause Lance was darkness, and Lorna's dream of light ended with him." The book reads as if it were an earlier draft with some cosmetic polishing; it would have been stronger and subtler with another rewrite. ( )

I don’t know about this book. Several times I tried to invoke the “rule of 50,” but something made me read a couple more pages. Then about half way through, a diary was found hidden in a refrigerator which survived a fire. The characters treated it as if it contained some horrible secret, so I kept going. I found the secret at the end (YAWN)! Except for a fight scene, which was pretty exciting, I found this book only three shades above boring.
First off, unless I am reading George Eliot, chapter titles annoy me. These had lots to do with ospreys, as did each chapter’s epigram. Normally, I find these things interesting and will try and find the source, but, in this case, I couldn’t be bothered. I am also suspicious of novels that list all the characters, their relationships, and ages up front – unless, however, I am reading War and Peace. I guarantee this is in no way anywhere near Tolstoy. Normally, I find Random House a reliable publisher of fiction – I guess every house is entitled to an occasional slip up.
The characters were flat, dull, and uninteresting. Some characters were not described in enough detail to make them even remotely memorable and interesting. The ones that were described in detail, seemed so to the point of being clichés. Two stars.
--Jim, 7/15/07 ( )

I enjoyed this better than "The Good People of New York"--it seemed better constructed. It's a good summer novel. ( )