This book is a mesmerizing blend of mystery and historical fiction, immersing readers in the haunting atmosphere of San Piedro Island. With its beautifully crafted prose, it explores themes of love, prejudice, and the lasting impact of war. Guterson's vivid storytelling draws you in, making it impossible to put down until the truth behind the murder is revealed. Prepare to be captivated by the stunning imagery, heart-wrenching emotions, and thought-provoking insights that this masterpiece offers.

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• Anthony Award Nominee for Best First Novel (1995)
• PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction (1995)
• American Booksellers Book Of The Year Award for Adult Trade (1996)
• Martin Beck Award (1996)
• Barnes & Noble Discover Prize (1994)

Gripping, tragic, and densely atmospheric—a masterpiece of suspense San Piedro Island, north of Puget Sound, is a place so isolated that no one who lives there can afford to make enemies. But in 1954 a local fisherman is found suspiciously drowned, and a Japanese American named Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with his murder. In the course of the ensuing trial, it becomes clear that what is at stake is more than a man's guilt. For on San Pedro, memories of a charmed love affair between a white boy and the Japanese girl who grew up to become Kabuo's wife; memories of land desired, paid for, and lost. Above all, San Piedro is haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during World War II, when an entire community was sent into exile while its neighbors watched.

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