Well I love this book but I've gotta admit, if I wasn't an environmentalist who has lived her entire life in Florida, I probably wouldn't have as much.

The attention to detail and historical accuracy was impressive. When Native Americans are mentioned, it's not just Seminoles, but also original tribes such as the Calusa, Jeaga and Tequesta. When hurricane Braylen damages Lake O's dam, it mentions the flood from a hurricane in 1928, which was a real event. I think the author should have mentioned the way people have drained the Everglades and rerouted the water to the Gulf, leading to horrible environmental disasters like red tide.

The geography depicted doesn't add up. Rudder is a small town on the east coast that has somehow escaped a majority of development around Miami. At first it sounds like Rudder is north of Miami, possibly near Vero Beach, but then Wanda and her Dad travel an hour west and somehow they're south of Lake Okeechobee. Which leads me to believe that Rudder must actually be to the south of Miami instead, around Homestead. Then Bird Dog says that she goes south to Miami sometimes and it doesn't add up.

The ending was wrapped together in a rushed and non meaningful way. With Wanda sharing a kiss with someone who she's rarely spoken to and then flashforwarding to the end of her life with this person. It's sweet but it was never a part of the story and then all of the sudden it was?

What captured my heart though was the imaginative descriptions. The mention of native plants and scenery specific only to Florida. The terrifying description of a hurricane's power which swept me up with memories of the three hurricanes of 2004. Phyllis who is an ecological scientist (*sigh* dream job!) was an exceptional character
"The time for marking ecological change and acting on it has passed, and if she's honest, there is a relief in releasing those fervent unfulfilled desires for solutions. Now all that's left is to behold these environments as they transition. The great rewilding, as she likes to call it. Humans have spoiled so much, but nature is resourceful. It dies and is reborn as something new. Her work now is to watch this occur."
Lucas was too as he tries to atone for his mistakes. The war within himself is relatable for most people who grew up in Florida. You want to leave, but you also love it and want to save it.
"Sometimes he thinks this is what loving Florida means— being afraid of it."

The Light Pirate - Likewise Book Reviews

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