On the whole, the group would recommend this book. As a group we could agree with the following review by The Independent on Sunday. 'If Truman Capote, Arthur Miller , Harper Lee and John Grisham all washed up on a desert island.... they might well come up with something like this.'
This is the story of the trial of a Japanese American following the death of a local fisherman. The main scene is in the courtroom of a remote island in the north west of the USA with a small population who all know each other well. The action takes place in the 1950s not long after the events of the second world war. As the the novel unfolds we discover the background stories behind the main characters which feed into testimonies given at the trial.
The book gave the group a lot to talk about and taught us a great deal about the events around that time. It is a first novel but beautifully written. The descriptions of the island and island life are detailed and vivid. However this detail does not make the book a quick read. It's one to tackle on cold winter days in front of a fire or on a long, relaxing holiday.