In 'San Miguel', T. C. Boyle weaves together the destinies of two families bound to a remote and harsh island in search for a new beginning. The novel opens with Marantha Waters stepping onto San Miguel Island in 1888, embracing her new life even as her husband's dream of paradise crumbles into a stark reality rife with challenges. Her adoptive daughter, Edith, chafes against the confines of their life, yearning for escape. Decades later, in 1930, Elise Lester and her ebullient husband, a World War I veteran, arrive with hopes of fame and liberation, only to be tested by the island's relentless grip and the impending shadows of war. Boyle masterfully captures the essence of dreams confronted with the unyielding forces of nature and human will.