'Sometimes we have to choose between people and places, the sky and the earth. War and peace...' Marc, in search of a dream, leaves London and sets out for the island where his grandfather was born and where his father's plane was shot down in flames. It is an island once said to be near the edge of heaven, but now ravaged and despoiled by war. There by a glittering lake he sees the subversive Uva, an eco-warrior releasing emerald doves. Finding her launches him into a world of difficult choices. Their passionate affair is cut short when she disappears. Desperate to find her, Marc embarks on a final terrifying journey that will test all his beliefs as he confronts violence in a quest for love. Booker-shortlisted Romesh Gunesekera's third novel is a modern odyssey: a gripping adventure and a moving love story beautifully written with clarity, subtlety and terrific emotional force. A truly magnificent novel for our times.