But not before she rekindles her love of writing and starts work on a new novel. Through bonding with Atile’i, Alice develops a renewed vitality and the pair set off into the mountains to search for Toto. Unfortunately, a weak third act undermines the immersive read. Alice’s aborigine neigbours, Dahu and Hafay, both recall meeting a mystical spirit with millions of eyes at pivotal moments of their childhood, the titular Man with the Compound Eyes. But magical goings on aren’t limited to this distant land. The author excels at creating the island of Wayo Wayo, inventing a language and customs for its primitive people, even an origin myth for their worship of the sea god Kabang. While Alice’s tragic loss sits at the heart of the story, Atile’i’s narrative is much more enthralling. Meanwhile, Atile’i is from an isolated tribe that banished him for being born a second son. With chapters told from multiple perspectives, we learn Alice is struggling with the mysterious death of her husband and disappearance of her young son Toto on a mountaineering trip. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, Alice Shih, a literary professor contemplating suicide, discovers Atile’i, an injured South Pacific islander, washed up amongst the refuse.
VINTAGE EARTH: A series of transformative novels with the environment at their heart.A toxic tsunami of the world’s waste decimates a small Taiwanese town. I think this work will be a classic' - Hugh Howey, author of Wool I wept at the description of the dying whales and the approaching tsunami. 'A haunting and evocative tale, beautifully told. On their journey, memories will be challenged, an unusual bond formed, and a dark secret uncovered that will force Alice to question everything she thought she knew. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, Atile'i and Alice retrace her late husband's footsteps into the mountains, hoping to solve the mystery of her son's disappearance. Across the sea, Alice Shih's life is interrupted when a vast trash vortex comes crashing onto the shore of Taiwan, bringing Atile'i with it. Atile'i however is determined to defy destiny and become the first to survive. On the island of Wayo Wayo, every second son must leave on the day he turns fifteen as a sacrifice to the Sea God. 'You must love the land, my children, and ring it in with your love'
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