Author Description

Rye's life changes when his father is appointed as Governor of one of thenew penal colonies. With his parents, he moves to the island, where he expectsto be the only child among colony officials, prisoners, and offlanders (thenative peoples of the region). However there are two other children there: Kris,who is the son of the offlander chief, and Stefanie, daughter of one of theprisoners. The three become uneasy friends, despite their parents' verydifferent agendas: Rye's father is destroying the land through his drive tomodernize; Kris's father is desperate to maintain the old ways; Stefanie'sfather is brewing revolution.With a wide scope and a range of comic and quirky characters, the book hassomething of the feel of Holes by Louis Sachar, or of the film Oh Brother, WhereArt Thou? It deals with the three children realizing they don't have to followin their parents' footsteps, and tells the story of how they bring the adultscloser together and find a way forward for all the people of the island.