I have loved Bohjalian's books, every one of them until this one. He really dropped the ball in this novel, as did his editor who allowed all of the parenthetical asides that interrupted any flow he might have established in the narrative. The characters were vapid and unappealing, so unlike the persons of depth readers usually find. The plot was contrived and tedious. It was always a pleaure to learn from Bohjalian's work about a subject totally unfamiliar and surprisingly interesting, like midwifery or alternative medicine or transexuality. The FERAL people were consistently annoying and extreme to a fault. Their abrasive stance made Spencer's "accident" seem a just dessert for someone so narrow- minded and controlling. I am hopeful that, having purged this novel from his system, Bohjalian will write another that returns him to the ranks of outstanding contemporary authors.