Carol Elrod, a long-time Indianapolis Star reporter and her husband chucked it all for an interesting new life: they bought a house on the small Caribbean island of Montserrat. The book, developed from a detailed diary and full of interesting human and atmospheric details, tells the story of friendships with island native people, encounters with a traditional culture of do it tomorrow, caring for everybody and reverence for both God and zombies. Simple parts for everyday items were objects of scavenger hunts among the town's stores; bats flew over worshippers heads at the local Methodist church; the band played off-key when Prince Philip visited. The Elrods fashioned a beautiful life among exotic plants and humble neighbors, whose decency and friendship they came to love. How striking was their sadness, then, with the coming of the 1995-1997 volcano which destroyed half the island, killing several and burying the Elrod's home as they fled for their lives.