When the Killing's Done (Boyle)
Encyclopedia
When the Killing's Done is a 2011
novel by T. C. Boyle. The book is an environmental and family drama revolving around the Channel Islands of California
--specifically Anacapa
and Santa Cruz
-- and the controversy surrounding efforts by the National Park Service
and its partners to eradicate invasive species
and revitalize the islands' natural communities.
The novel has substantial basis in historical occurrence. Native wildlife populations on the islands, both part of Channel Islands National Park
, had been pushed toward extinction by a variety of invasive species, including the golden eagle, black rats, and feral pigs and sheep. In 2001 and 2002 the National Park Service used poison
to successfully eradicate Anacapa Island's non-native black rats, and then partnered with other government agencies and the Nature Conservancy to remove feral pigs from Santa Cruz Island, which was completed in 2006.
In the novel, Dave Lajoy, an impassioned animal rights activist, leads an attempt to prevent NPS spokesperson and biologist Alma Boyd Takesue from removing rats and pigs from the islands. The novel also flashbacks to events on the islands during the 1940s and the 1970s.
2011 in literature
The year 2011 will involve some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tomas Tranströmer wins the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.*Jennifer Egan wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel A Visit From the Goon Squad.-Literature:*T.C...
novel by T. C. Boyle. The book is an environmental and family drama revolving around the Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
--specifically Anacapa
Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island is a small volcanic island located about off the coast of Port Hueneme, California, in Ventura County. The Island is composed of a series of narrow islets six miles long, running in a mostly east-west orientation, five miles east of Santa Cruz Island...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island was the largest privately owned island off the continental United States, but is currently part-owned by the National Park service . The island, located off the coast of California, is long and from wide...
-- and the controversy surrounding efforts by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and its partners to eradicate invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
and revitalize the islands' natural communities.
The novel has substantial basis in historical occurrence. Native wildlife populations on the islands, both part of Channel Islands National Park
Channel Islands National Park
- External links :* Official site: * *...
, had been pushed toward extinction by a variety of invasive species, including the golden eagle, black rats, and feral pigs and sheep. In 2001 and 2002 the National Park Service used poison
Brodifacoum
Brodifacoum is a highly lethal vitamin K antagonist anticoagulant poison. In recent years, it has become one of the world's most widely used pesticides...
to successfully eradicate Anacapa Island's non-native black rats, and then partnered with other government agencies and the Nature Conservancy to remove feral pigs from Santa Cruz Island, which was completed in 2006.
In the novel, Dave Lajoy, an impassioned animal rights activist, leads an attempt to prevent NPS spokesperson and biologist Alma Boyd Takesue from removing rats and pigs from the islands. The novel also flashbacks to events on the islands during the 1940s and the 1970s.
External links
- T.C. Boyle official web site
- T.C. Boyle: When the Killing's Done - 2011 Interview with the author on Bookworm