Ken Haines

Despite its reputation this book is not that great. Ripley is flawed but there is little redemption in him or in the narrative

A rare thing these days a book that pulls you along with you wanting to know how Kya starting out as a tiny child survives. How she evolves and grows from being mistreated into a talented, unique, flawed individual searching for a solution to her isolation. Geographically based in east North Carolina the backdrop is the natural world of that coast and the book is sensitive to the beauty of that natural world. There is a murder, an investigation and a trial but they feel like a sub-plot to a story of a troubled life. A fine read.