Sweetland
by Michael Crummey
2014/ 336 pages
read by John Lee 9h 12m
Rating: 7 /  literary survival fiction

Moses Sweetland’s family was among the original settlers on Sweetland Island – a fictional place off the coast of Newfoundland  – or so he tells the  government agent who comes to convince him to move.   Times have changed and what with the fishery and lighthouse being long gone,  the expense of keeping a few families that far away from the mainland is prohibitive.  The compensation is quite fair but everyone on the island has to agree to the move or it won’t happen.  The government is not going to be held responsible for a single lunatic alone on an island.

So every family has signs except Moses and his neighbor, Loveless.   Too bad,  Moses is determined to stay on the island – even when he gets threats, some veiled, some violent from his neighbors.  But the Newfoundland government is also determined to end the habitation of Sweetland Island.  The government is going to cut off all services like ferry service, telephone, internet, etc.  They are going to cut the whole place off.  Still, Moses will not leave.  >>>>MORE (no spoilers)>>>>