When the Killing's Done by T. C. Boyle

This is the second of Boyle's books that I have read.  The first, The Tortilla Curtain, was one I searched out as it dealt with the immigration conundrum in California.  When the Killing's Done was lent to me by another member of our Art Department/reading group.

When the Killing's Done is a multi-generational and multi-sided look at the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa, Barbara, CA, and specifically the selective elimination of non-native animals species on those islands before they became a National Park. Like how the immigration question was dealt with in The Tortilla Curtain, Killing's is a look at the liberal/save all animals/let's not change a thing view of nature versus the Park Service/modern conservationist view of let's get things back to where it was at one time so everyone can see what we had.

Along the way every character's personal foibles are on stage with their agendas, and Boyle mixes up the pot until it is easy to see there are no easy answers.  Every person in the book is both selfish, self-serving and trying to make the world better according to their perspective. Kind of like life.

I would recommend the book and the advice to not be afraid to think through some of the questions asked by it.