THAILAND - island life on Ko Phi PhiJohn Shors has beautifully captured the feel, smell and the feel of the island of Ko Phi Phi. The storyline takes the visitor behind the Thai smile and portrays the reality of life as it must be for many inhabitants looking after the tourist crowds across Thailand. It is a simple hand to mouth existence that many visitors perhaps never really appreciate as they enjoy sitting on the beach, chilling and enjoying the food and drink in the balmy surroundings. The author takes us behind the scenes of local island life through Lek and his wife Sarai, and their three young children who are permanently looking for more ways to bring in income – the permanent threat of having to move to Bangkok to make a living hangs over their heads; this would involve giving up their carefree, though poor island life. With them lives Patch, an American young fugitive, who through hot-headedness attacked a policeman back in Bangkok. For this he may have to pay dearly by going to gaol, if he is found.Ryan, Patch’s brother arrives from the States, with girlfriend Brooke in tow, to save the day, and persuade Patch to turn himself in to the authorities. Ryan is a very black and white person and struggles to see any other outcome other than surrendering himself to the authorities. Patch’s only other option would be to take a boat to another country and repatriate himself back to the States from there, a potentially very risky alternative – but with his two options Patch is between a rock and a hard place. Ryan soon settles into laid-back island life, and his boorish, two dimensional attitude to life soon takes a battering.We know right from the beginning that, when the book starts on Saturday 18th December, the Tsunami is looming on the 26th. What we don’t know, however, is the effect it will have on the characters’ lives.This is a superb book to enable readers to see the location through an author's eyes..... Sucn a wonderful cast of characters! This book takes us to the beautiul island of Ko Phi Phi, a tourist attraction in Thailand. Two American brothers clash. One has befriended a native family whom I thought were great characters. The other, a great forward character with a great deal of ambition is angry at his lazy brother. To further complicate the plot, he brought along his girl friend, Brooke. Then he meets a native woman, Dao. Unknown to all of them the island is in the path of tsunamis which will change everything.
What do You think about Cross Currents (2011)?
I really liked this book and the ending surprised me. I was so proud of Patch in the end.
—robin
Just ok for me. It was too easy to see where this story was going to go.
—bobbyjoe123
