The story of Santa Cruz Island — and its incredible return from the brink of ecological collapse — is nothing short of inspirational.

 

The Conservancy’s successful island restoration and innovative conservation practices have inspired countless scientists and conservationists around the world. And now, it seems, Santa Cruz Island has inspired novelists as well.

 

Best-selling author T.C. Boyle — author of such works as "The Tortilla Curtain" and "A Friend of the Earth" — has written a new novel principally set on Santa Cruz Island and inspired by the Conservancy’s scientists and our work.

 

"When the Killing’s Done" tells the fictionalized tale of the island’s restoration and the inherent controversies that accompany such a complex endeavor. Boyle raises provocative questions about environmentalism and ethics, engaging the reader to ask their own questions and come to their own conclusions.