The latest masterpiece from the unstoppable T.C. Boyle, a sweeping epic of family, ecology and the right to life - no matter what the fallout. T.C. Boyle tackles a highly topical subject - animal rights and conservation - and returns to the themes of beloved classics such as A Friend of the Earth and Tortilla Curtain. An island off the coast of California is infested with black rats, threatening an ancient population of birds, and a pair of notorious environmental activists are planning to sabotage the extermination plan.