"Like countless others before us, we believed that we alone understood the dictates of love." This quote from "The Edge of the Earth" describes beautifully young Trudy and Oskar Swann as they travel to their new married life at a remote lighthouse off the coast of California, eager to escape the restrictions of a complacent life in Milwaukee. i think the readers will relate to their early romantic illusions as to what life will be like when they are free to live without conventions, while knowingly understanding that young love is sometimes not all that is needed to survive and endure. The secrets revealed slowly over the pages keeps one enthralled and dying to know what is really going on on that lonely island.

I really liked this book. Emily Lowry is a character that resonates with the reader. Her growth and transformation from a pampered,wealthy young Southern woman to a strong, courageous independent woman whose eyes were opened to the ways of the world from which she had always been sheltered was compelling. How she learned to follow her heart and defy the strict societal mores of her day provided for a very satisfying read. This would be a great book for book club discussions, as there are many aspects to consider, among them slavery, Key West history and miscegenation. A good read!