First published 2007
Emmy Simpson's marriage to her Australian husband crumbles, sending her fleeing Sydney for what she hopes will be healing in Bali's tropical setting. She plans to discover who she really is, but instead finds herself tangled up with international smugglers and an odd collection of expatriate misfits. Back in London, her sister Virginia lives a careful, religious life that feels increasingly hollow. Virginia has rarely traveled beyond the city limits, but their aging mother insists a trip to Scotland's Isle of Skye will help her daughter find purpose. The middle-aged sisters pursue separate journeys on islands thousands of miles apart. Emmy confronts chaos and moral compromise in Indonesia while Virginia faces her own questions about faith and meaning in the Scottish highlands. Both women discover that running toward or away from change brings consequences neither anticipated.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, separate-journeys
Setting: Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Isle of Skye, London, Scotland, Sydney
Period: contemporary
270 pages · Paperback · Vintage