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On Hurricane Island
As a major hurricane threatens the northeast, math professor Gandalf Cohen is abducted by federal agents and flown to a secret interrogation center off the coast of Maine. Austin Coombs, a young local resident, is a newly hired civilian guard assigned to the detention center. Henry Ames, a man of personal secrets, is the FBI special agent in charge of Gandalf’s case and doubts the professor’s terrorist involvement; Tobias, his second-in-command, disagrees, preferring violent interrogation. As the hurricane slams the shore, conflict detonates and each character must choose a side if they’re to survive the storm. Told over the five days approaching the anniversary of 9/11, by varying voices on both extremes of the political divide, On Hurricane Island is both a fast-paced political thriller and a literary examination of the sociopolitical storm facing our society. How far should government go in the name of protecting our national security? What happens when governmental powers of surveillance and extra-legal interrogation are expanded? How free are we?
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
About the author
Ellen Meeropol
6 books81 followersEllen Meeropol is the author of five novels, The Lost Women of Azalea Court, (2022), Her Sister's Tattoo (2020), Kinship of Clover (2017),(2011), On Hurricane Island (2015), and House Arrest (2011). A former pediatric nurse practitioner, Ellen began seriously writing fiction in her fifties. She holds an MFA from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine. Her stories and essays have appeared in Guernica, Bridges, Portland Magazine, Lilith, Writers Chronicle, The Writer, and Necessary Fiction.
Drawing material from her twin passions of medicine and social justice activism, Ellen’s fiction explores characters at the intersection of political turmoil, ethical dilemmas, and family life.
Drawing material from her twin passions of medicine and social justice activism, Ellen’s fiction explores characters at the intersection of political turmoil, ethical dilemmas, and family life.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 14, 2015
Ellen Meeropol’s new novel, On Hurricane Island, raises disturbing and profound questions about torture, human rights, the scope and ethical basis of ‘extra-legal interrogation” -- and about exactly how free we, in the U.S., really are.
I finished her masterful new book just as the long-awaited report from the Senate condemning torture by the CIA was made public. These euphemistically government- termed “enhanced interrogation techniques” - in Meeropol’s novel, the use of “cold torture” - have not just been used on suspected Al Qaeda terrorists overseas but on domestic detainees as well.
Her novel is no political tract; it’s a suspenseful page-turner with a varied cast of characters, all utterly human and believable. Using five different points of view – including the professor who is detained, the young woman who guards her, her grandfather, and two interrogators at odds in their approaches – Meeropol interweaves their political viewpoints and rich emotional lives.
The setting is Hurricane Island, off the coast of Maine, which is being used as a secret detention center. Through precise detail and evocative prose I experienced the texture of the rocks, the darkness of the caves, the clammy air. Fog shrouds the island and adds to the sense of danger and mystery, while the approaching hurricane changes the dynamics of everything -- and ratchets up the tension. All these natural elements fully earn their symbolic weight.
On Hurricane Island is a powerful novel. Not wanting to experience torture so visceral you will shake with cold yourself, you might be tempted to give it a pass. Don’t.
Meeropol has a light touch with this dark story, and gives the reader relief by intercutting her scenes and cycling through the various voices and perspectives. She has written a novel of ideas, activism, and political challenge, one that is illuminated by hope and heart.
I finished her masterful new book just as the long-awaited report from the Senate condemning torture by the CIA was made public. These euphemistically government- termed “enhanced interrogation techniques” - in Meeropol’s novel, the use of “cold torture” - have not just been used on suspected Al Qaeda terrorists overseas but on domestic detainees as well.
Her novel is no political tract; it’s a suspenseful page-turner with a varied cast of characters, all utterly human and believable. Using five different points of view – including the professor who is detained, the young woman who guards her, her grandfather, and two interrogators at odds in their approaches – Meeropol interweaves their political viewpoints and rich emotional lives.
The setting is Hurricane Island, off the coast of Maine, which is being used as a secret detention center. Through precise detail and evocative prose I experienced the texture of the rocks, the darkness of the caves, the clammy air. Fog shrouds the island and adds to the sense of danger and mystery, while the approaching hurricane changes the dynamics of everything -- and ratchets up the tension. All these natural elements fully earn their symbolic weight.
On Hurricane Island is a powerful novel. Not wanting to experience torture so visceral you will shake with cold yourself, you might be tempted to give it a pass. Don’t.
Meeropol has a light touch with this dark story, and gives the reader relief by intercutting her scenes and cycling through the various voices and perspectives. She has written a novel of ideas, activism, and political challenge, one that is illuminated by hope and heart.
November 4, 2014
It has been over a decade since the U.S. ushered in a global “war on terror” and during that time, many patriots have lost their innocence. Our country couldn’t possibly have committed the types of excesses of Abu Ghraib – torture, waterboarding, physical and sexual abuse -- could it?
Well, COULD IT?
Ellen Meeropol’s On Hurricane Island reads like a cautionary tale – one that weaves the reader in to its net of suspense and horror. Her main character, U.S. citizen and math professor Gandalf Cohen, is kidnapped by federal agents while on her way to a mathematical convention and sequestered off the coast of Maine in a civilian detention center. This 60-year-old female academic may have the most tenuous of connections to a terrorist and as a result, is placed in a confounding nightmare situation.
Integrated into this tale is Austin Coombs, a newly hired civilian guide who is getting an education she never bargained for…her grandparents whom Austin lives with, who are guarding a mysterious past…Henry Ames, the FBI man-in-charge, who shields his own potentially career-ending secrets…and Tobias, the sadistic second-in-command who throws rules out the window in his singular focus to get results.
This author has matured a lot since her first book, House Arrest, which was a worthy, albeit slightly flawed, debut. In this book, she interweaves several plot lines, takes literary risks, and creates characters that the reader cares about and roots for. I am loath to provide plot spoilers (although, of course, when a book is named On Hurricane Island you can be rest assured that a hurricane is going to enter into it!), but I will say that the book rings of a painful authenticity. Suffice to say that I was turning pages quickly, on several occasions with heart pounding.
About two-thirds in, the book veers towards the cinematic, which will capture the majority of readers but distanced me. This is a subjective observation; I much prefer interior lives to exterior adventures. The integration of two of the plot points seemed a bit implausible (who would concentrate on family letters when their physical well-being – indeed, their lives == were on the line?)
Still, On Hurricane Island stands its own, and then some, against books that ramp up tension and yet make the reader consider the implications of our misguided policies. It tackles a topic of vital importance: government surveillance and extra-legal interrogations gone awry. As such, it deserves a wide readership.
Well, COULD IT?
Ellen Meeropol’s On Hurricane Island reads like a cautionary tale – one that weaves the reader in to its net of suspense and horror. Her main character, U.S. citizen and math professor Gandalf Cohen, is kidnapped by federal agents while on her way to a mathematical convention and sequestered off the coast of Maine in a civilian detention center. This 60-year-old female academic may have the most tenuous of connections to a terrorist and as a result, is placed in a confounding nightmare situation.
Integrated into this tale is Austin Coombs, a newly hired civilian guide who is getting an education she never bargained for…her grandparents whom Austin lives with, who are guarding a mysterious past…Henry Ames, the FBI man-in-charge, who shields his own potentially career-ending secrets…and Tobias, the sadistic second-in-command who throws rules out the window in his singular focus to get results.
This author has matured a lot since her first book, House Arrest, which was a worthy, albeit slightly flawed, debut. In this book, she interweaves several plot lines, takes literary risks, and creates characters that the reader cares about and roots for. I am loath to provide plot spoilers (although, of course, when a book is named On Hurricane Island you can be rest assured that a hurricane is going to enter into it!), but I will say that the book rings of a painful authenticity. Suffice to say that I was turning pages quickly, on several occasions with heart pounding.
About two-thirds in, the book veers towards the cinematic, which will capture the majority of readers but distanced me. This is a subjective observation; I much prefer interior lives to exterior adventures. The integration of two of the plot points seemed a bit implausible (who would concentrate on family letters when their physical well-being – indeed, their lives == were on the line?)
Still, On Hurricane Island stands its own, and then some, against books that ramp up tension and yet make the reader consider the implications of our misguided policies. It tackles a topic of vital importance: government surveillance and extra-legal interrogations gone awry. As such, it deserves a wide readership.
February 11, 2015
What has the war on terror wrought? For one thing, the torture of detainees-- the cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment applied during “extra-legal” interrogations. In Ellen Meeropol’s second novel, a hurricane is raging on the northeast coast of Maine, while a storm of ethical breaches is in process against prisoners held there in a civilian camp. Here, federal agents are attempting to determine whether 60-year-old math professor Gandalf Cohen is an enemy of the State. Her newly hired civilian guard, a young and naïve Austin Coombs, is a primary witness to the rogue actions of U.S. lawmen. Braided within this well-paced thriller is a tender and taut back-story involving Coombs’s grandparents. The history of the quarry on this tiny island in Maine is full of romance, intrigue, and secrets.
Meeropol scrutinizes the very nature of freedom vs. safety, by examining the governmental power of extreme intervention in the name of national security. Using alternating points of view of five characters, including the two federal agents, the reader is taken on a pulse-pounding cat-and-mouse ride. What do the words “national security” really mean? Is it helpful or harmful to the interests of the individual, or does it trade the individual for the so-called protection of society? Furthermore, do the keepers of security pervert their interests into rogue factions? The word “terrorism” is emotionally and politically charged, and what Meeropol accomplishes in her novel is to bring the war on terror down to an individual level.
My only complaint is that the character of federal agent Tobias, and what he represents, is too reductive. The author makes it easy to despise him, because he is a sadist. However, shows like 24, and movies like ZERO DARK THIRTY, have shown a more nuanced side of the path to torture--it was more like a continuum that escalates when results aren't obtained. What happens when a “good guy”—someone the audience usually roots for, is compelled to use torture to get results from a prisoner who has knowingly performed heinous crimes. Our armchair evaluations are challenged, because we, too, are compelled—to sympathize, even against our better judgment. Meeropol veers away from moral ambiguity, preferring to keep to a safer, if less provocative, principle regarding the war on terror. Maybe it is served up a little too sanitized; however, I can appreciate her moral stand and desire to make a salient point. Moreover, I was thoroughly entertained, biting my nails and turning the pages.
Meeropol scrutinizes the very nature of freedom vs. safety, by examining the governmental power of extreme intervention in the name of national security. Using alternating points of view of five characters, including the two federal agents, the reader is taken on a pulse-pounding cat-and-mouse ride. What do the words “national security” really mean? Is it helpful or harmful to the interests of the individual, or does it trade the individual for the so-called protection of society? Furthermore, do the keepers of security pervert their interests into rogue factions? The word “terrorism” is emotionally and politically charged, and what Meeropol accomplishes in her novel is to bring the war on terror down to an individual level.
My only complaint is that the character of federal agent Tobias, and what he represents, is too reductive. The author makes it easy to despise him, because he is a sadist. However, shows like 24, and movies like ZERO DARK THIRTY, have shown a more nuanced side of the path to torture--it was more like a continuum that escalates when results aren't obtained. What happens when a “good guy”—someone the audience usually roots for, is compelled to use torture to get results from a prisoner who has knowingly performed heinous crimes. Our armchair evaluations are challenged, because we, too, are compelled—to sympathize, even against our better judgment. Meeropol veers away from moral ambiguity, preferring to keep to a safer, if less provocative, principle regarding the war on terror. Maybe it is served up a little too sanitized; however, I can appreciate her moral stand and desire to make a salient point. Moreover, I was thoroughly entertained, biting my nails and turning the pages.
February 11, 2015
Wow I ripped through this book in record time. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. Which is pretty much the holy grail for reading, isn't it? Not only that, many times as I sped through it, and again emphatically at the end, the thought came to me, "Gee this would make a great movie." Now, I am not someone who usually, really ever, thinks in those terms when reading a book. Yet the pacing, the plotting, and especially the depictions of place and nature that bring On Hurricane Island to such vibrant life do point in this direction.
But of course there's more to this fine novel than its at times cinematic immediacy. The characters are expertly wrought--real, believable, flawed, human, and, with the exception of one really bad guy, sympathetic. Even the really bad guy, though the reader roots for his downfall, is fully fleshed out, is not a mere stick figure. The writing throughout is supple, deft. And the story is extraordinarily gripping.
Not gripping in your run-of-the-mill action thriller way. There's much more at stake in Meeropol's tale than whodunit or cops and robbers or slick shiny Bourne-style secret agency. These are timely, urgent issues explored in this novel. Secret prisons, civilian detention, torture. This is real life in these ultra-militarized de-constitutionalized United States of 2015, year 14 of the Endless War declared by George W. Bush and not only carried forward but expanded by his successor. Meeropol has done a good deed by taking this topic on, and she's done an amazing deed by turning it into a highly readable, provocative, moving book.
But of course there's more to this fine novel than its at times cinematic immediacy. The characters are expertly wrought--real, believable, flawed, human, and, with the exception of one really bad guy, sympathetic. Even the really bad guy, though the reader roots for his downfall, is fully fleshed out, is not a mere stick figure. The writing throughout is supple, deft. And the story is extraordinarily gripping.
Not gripping in your run-of-the-mill action thriller way. There's much more at stake in Meeropol's tale than whodunit or cops and robbers or slick shiny Bourne-style secret agency. These are timely, urgent issues explored in this novel. Secret prisons, civilian detention, torture. This is real life in these ultra-militarized de-constitutionalized United States of 2015, year 14 of the Endless War declared by George W. Bush and not only carried forward but expanded by his successor. Meeropol has done a good deed by taking this topic on, and she's done an amazing deed by turning it into a highly readable, provocative, moving book.
December 21, 2015
I read this book in one sitting! Wonderful characters, and some good plot twists. A very fun read!
July 9, 2018
Hurricane Island is the location of a detention centre in Maine, where US citizens suspected of terrorism are taken. As one of the largest hurricanes in recent history bears down on the island, a storm of another kind is taking place inside the facility.
I'm not usually a big suspense novel fan and I wasn't sure about this novel when I started it. First, one of the main characters is a woman named Gandalf. I am a huge LOTR fan so I wasn't really taken with the naming of the character but I went with it. This story is told from the POVs of several main characters. Meeropol does a good job of shifting between characters without disrupting the flow of the story. And the characters themselves are quite well developed, although at times stereotypical, particularly the male characters in the story (Henry Ames and evil Tobias).
The suspense and pacing of the novel are its greatest strengths. Meeropol has a intrinsic gift for knowing when to jump to another storyline and keep the reader engaged. This makes for a relatively fast read (or listen if you prefer the audiobook version of the novel, which I listened to). In addition, there is the mystery of Austin's great-great grandmother. A family secret that is linked to old letters she steals and a hidden cave on Hurricane Island. While not directly involved with the main plot of the story, this subplot adding a richness and depth to the book.
I mentioned the stereotypical male characters already. The antagonist in the book, Tobias, is almost too evil. A man who is determined to climb the ladder of power, he also is obsessed with interrogation methods, torture, and at the same time is lusting after young Austin. While any one of those things could have made Tobias an effective "bad guy," throwing them all into one character was a bit much. Henry Ames is more developed. While he hides a proclivity for women's clothing and a suspected heart condition, overall he is a likeable character.
Without giving away any spoilers, I did find the climax of the story built well to a satisfying finale. However, the actual ending of the book seemed a bit abrupt. Perhaps it was the narration of the audiobook but I actually said aloud "Oh, that's the end?"
Overall I would recommend this novel. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters and will be checking out more Ellen Meeropol novels in the future.
I'm not usually a big suspense novel fan and I wasn't sure about this novel when I started it. First, one of the main characters is a woman named Gandalf. I am a huge LOTR fan so I wasn't really taken with the naming of the character but I went with it. This story is told from the POVs of several main characters. Meeropol does a good job of shifting between characters without disrupting the flow of the story. And the characters themselves are quite well developed, although at times stereotypical, particularly the male characters in the story (Henry Ames and evil Tobias).
The suspense and pacing of the novel are its greatest strengths. Meeropol has a intrinsic gift for knowing when to jump to another storyline and keep the reader engaged. This makes for a relatively fast read (or listen if you prefer the audiobook version of the novel, which I listened to). In addition, there is the mystery of Austin's great-great grandmother. A family secret that is linked to old letters she steals and a hidden cave on Hurricane Island. While not directly involved with the main plot of the story, this subplot adding a richness and depth to the book.
I mentioned the stereotypical male characters already. The antagonist in the book, Tobias, is almost too evil. A man who is determined to climb the ladder of power, he also is obsessed with interrogation methods, torture, and at the same time is lusting after young Austin. While any one of those things could have made Tobias an effective "bad guy," throwing them all into one character was a bit much. Henry Ames is more developed. While he hides a proclivity for women's clothing and a suspected heart condition, overall he is a likeable character.
Without giving away any spoilers, I did find the climax of the story built well to a satisfying finale. However, the actual ending of the book seemed a bit abrupt. Perhaps it was the narration of the audiobook but I actually said aloud "Oh, that's the end?"
Overall I would recommend this novel. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters and will be checking out more Ellen Meeropol novels in the future.
April 28, 2021
On Hurricane Island by Ellen Meeropol hooked me in the first chapter and didn’t let go. Certainly all the elements of a pulsating thriller are here. Whisked away without habeas corpus by Federal authorities, an aging apolitical scientist, Gandalf Cohen, finds herself on a remote Maine island in the hands (literally) of a sadistic government agent, who falsely suspects her of terrorist activity. This chilling novel explores the dynamic between political injustice and personal choices with high stakes consequences.
In this gifted author’s more recent, My Sister’s Tattoo, that theme played out more quietly, within one family over decades. On Hurricane Island’s events unfold over four days, and although familial issues are present, the primary conflict occurs between Gandalf Cohen, a women of conscience, and three of her government captors. One of them, Tobias, has no reservations about psychological and physical torture to get what he wants. Another, Henry, is conflicted and wants to treat the detainee respectfully, but he is no match for Tobias. The third agent, Austin, a young woman carrying her own trauma, recognizes Tobias’s depravity and bonds with the prisoner. Austin eventually breaks rank and during an intense hurricane she leads Cohen and another female detainee on a desperate escape attempt. Austin’s primal familiarity with the island as a local and Cohen’s knowledge of hurricane patterns are pitted against Tobias’s high-tech weaponry.
There are interesting backstories to all the characters, which influence the choices they ultimately make, and elevates On Hurricane Island above others in the thriller genre. The characters are finely drawn and Meeropol shows us that the harshest circumstances bring out the best and worst of our humanity. I strongly recommend this gripping and thoughtful novel.
In this gifted author’s more recent, My Sister’s Tattoo, that theme played out more quietly, within one family over decades. On Hurricane Island’s events unfold over four days, and although familial issues are present, the primary conflict occurs between Gandalf Cohen, a women of conscience, and three of her government captors. One of them, Tobias, has no reservations about psychological and physical torture to get what he wants. Another, Henry, is conflicted and wants to treat the detainee respectfully, but he is no match for Tobias. The third agent, Austin, a young woman carrying her own trauma, recognizes Tobias’s depravity and bonds with the prisoner. Austin eventually breaks rank and during an intense hurricane she leads Cohen and another female detainee on a desperate escape attempt. Austin’s primal familiarity with the island as a local and Cohen’s knowledge of hurricane patterns are pitted against Tobias’s high-tech weaponry.
There are interesting backstories to all the characters, which influence the choices they ultimately make, and elevates On Hurricane Island above others in the thriller genre. The characters are finely drawn and Meeropol shows us that the harshest circumstances bring out the best and worst of our humanity. I strongly recommend this gripping and thoughtful novel.
November 18, 2018
Compelling read (listen)
Meeropol pens a compelling story in On Hurricane Island. I think when you read a political thriller, it can resonate with the current events at the time you read it, and unfortunately, no matter the time or era you read it (or listen to it), it can still resonate with it. That makes for a great story, and unfortunate political scene. The characters were developed and it was a gripping tale of intrigue, fear and the ties the bind a family together. It was not a stereotypical story, and it brought many "truths" to the surface. I look forward to reading more of Meeropol's work.
Meeropol pens a compelling story in On Hurricane Island. I think when you read a political thriller, it can resonate with the current events at the time you read it, and unfortunately, no matter the time or era you read it (or listen to it), it can still resonate with it. That makes for a great story, and unfortunate political scene. The characters were developed and it was a gripping tale of intrigue, fear and the ties the bind a family together. It was not a stereotypical story, and it brought many "truths" to the surface. I look forward to reading more of Meeropol's work.
January 12, 2015
I have a friend who, while we have walked many parts of life's path together, is far braver than I, unafraid to scale the heights of conviction, and pursue the passions of belief. (Not that I'm a total wuss, for I try to support my own positions, and follow through in the ways I cast my vote and dollars.) But I marvel, and am a little envious, of activist ability, and I constantly learn about human rights and our responsibilities from the glimpses of that more rugged path she takes. I am grateful that she often extends her hand, and gives me a tug up that rocky road to standing up for human rights. On Hurricane Island also helped me to explore those paths that are harder to climb. It took me on a journey far beyond a small island in Penobscot Bay, Maine and helped me to travel in the world that has become more evident since the evolution of terrorism into this century and the response of various agencies to contain and destroy it.
The course of actions that emerge in On Hurricane Island pit people of conviction against people of conviction, and it is not always easy to see who is right or wrong. Math professor Gandalf Cohen finds herself pulled into this shadow when she is abducted by federal agents and taken to the Hurricane Island's secret interrogation center. Isolated, afraid, and unsure of why she was taken, or where she is, she tries to make sense of what is happening. Populating her new existence are federal agents with varying motivations and secrets of their own, and a young civilian guard, shocked by some of what she learns. That this all takes place as a powerful hurricane rolls up the coast adds an element of tension and fury, not unlike waiting for the back wall of a storm's eye to slam in. the shifting points of view enhanced the reality of conflicts that emerge between various personalities and beliefs. Interspersed in the current day tale is another one, set before WWI when stone from the island was still being quarried.
I am a sucker for "interwoven" tales, and if a book teaches me something as well, I'm sold. This book did more that that, though. It encouraged me to once again, sit down and have a chat with my conscience and examine my beliefs: what is right, what is tolerable, what is wrong. What can I accept, what must I fight to change.
In full disclosure, let me add that the friend I mentioned in my opening paragraph is the author of this book. Thank you, Ellen Meeropol, for once again reaching back and helping me along the path of examining conviction.
The eI have a friend who, while we have walked many parts of life's path together, is far braver than I, unafraid to scale the heights of conviction, and pursue the passions of belief. (Not that I'm a total wuss, for I try to support my own positions, and follow through in the ways I cast my vote and dollars.) But I marvel, and am a little envious, of activist ability, and I constantly learn about human rights and our responsibilities from the glimpses of that more rugged path she takes. I am grateful that she often extends her hand, and gives me a tug up that rocky road to standing up for human rights. On Hurricane Island also helped me to explore those paths that are harder to climb. It took me on a journey far beyond a small island in Penobscot Bay, Maine and helped me to travel in the world that has become more evident since the evolution of terrorism into this century and the response of various agencies to contain and destroy it.
The course of actions that emerge in On Hurricane Island pit people of conviction against people of conviction, and it is not always easy to see who is right or wrong. Math professor Gandalf Cohen finds herself pulled into this shadow when she is abducted by federal agents and taken to the Hurricane Island's secret interrogation center. Isolated, afraid, and unsure of why she was taken, or where she is, she tries to make sense of what is happening. Populating her new existence are federal agents with varying motivations and secrets of their own, and a young civilian guard, shocked by some of what she learns. That this all takes place as a powerful hurricane rolls up the coast adds an element of tension and fury, not unlike waiting for the back wall of a storm's eye to slam in. the shifting points of view enhanced the reality of conflicts that emerge between various personalities and beliefs. Interspersed in the current day tale is another one, set before WWI when stone from the island was still being quarried.
I am a sucker for "interwoven" tales, and if a book teaches me something as well, I'm sold. This book did more that that, though. It encouraged me to once again, sit down and have a chat with my conscience and examine my beliefs: what is right, what is tolerable, what is wrong. What can I accept, what must I fight to change.
In full disclosure, let me add that the friend I mentioned in my opening paragraph is the author of this book. Thank you, Ellen Meeropol, for once again reaching back and helping me along the path of examining conviction.
Expected publication: March 3rd 2015 by Red Hen Press
The course of actions that emerge in On Hurricane Island pit people of conviction against people of conviction, and it is not always easy to see who is right or wrong. Math professor Gandalf Cohen finds herself pulled into this shadow when she is abducted by federal agents and taken to the Hurricane Island's secret interrogation center. Isolated, afraid, and unsure of why she was taken, or where she is, she tries to make sense of what is happening. Populating her new existence are federal agents with varying motivations and secrets of their own, and a young civilian guard, shocked by some of what she learns. That this all takes place as a powerful hurricane rolls up the coast adds an element of tension and fury, not unlike waiting for the back wall of a storm's eye to slam in. the shifting points of view enhanced the reality of conflicts that emerge between various personalities and beliefs. Interspersed in the current day tale is another one, set before WWI when stone from the island was still being quarried.
I am a sucker for "interwoven" tales, and if a book teaches me something as well, I'm sold. This book did more that that, though. It encouraged me to once again, sit down and have a chat with my conscience and examine my beliefs: what is right, what is tolerable, what is wrong. What can I accept, what must I fight to change.
In full disclosure, let me add that the friend I mentioned in my opening paragraph is the author of this book. Thank you, Ellen Meeropol, for once again reaching back and helping me along the path of examining conviction.
The eI have a friend who, while we have walked many parts of life's path together, is far braver than I, unafraid to scale the heights of conviction, and pursue the passions of belief. (Not that I'm a total wuss, for I try to support my own positions, and follow through in the ways I cast my vote and dollars.) But I marvel, and am a little envious, of activist ability, and I constantly learn about human rights and our responsibilities from the glimpses of that more rugged path she takes. I am grateful that she often extends her hand, and gives me a tug up that rocky road to standing up for human rights. On Hurricane Island also helped me to explore those paths that are harder to climb. It took me on a journey far beyond a small island in Penobscot Bay, Maine and helped me to travel in the world that has become more evident since the evolution of terrorism into this century and the response of various agencies to contain and destroy it.
The course of actions that emerge in On Hurricane Island pit people of conviction against people of conviction, and it is not always easy to see who is right or wrong. Math professor Gandalf Cohen finds herself pulled into this shadow when she is abducted by federal agents and taken to the Hurricane Island's secret interrogation center. Isolated, afraid, and unsure of why she was taken, or where she is, she tries to make sense of what is happening. Populating her new existence are federal agents with varying motivations and secrets of their own, and a young civilian guard, shocked by some of what she learns. That this all takes place as a powerful hurricane rolls up the coast adds an element of tension and fury, not unlike waiting for the back wall of a storm's eye to slam in. the shifting points of view enhanced the reality of conflicts that emerge between various personalities and beliefs. Interspersed in the current day tale is another one, set before WWI when stone from the island was still being quarried.
I am a sucker for "interwoven" tales, and if a book teaches me something as well, I'm sold. This book did more that that, though. It encouraged me to once again, sit down and have a chat with my conscience and examine my beliefs: what is right, what is tolerable, what is wrong. What can I accept, what must I fight to change.
In full disclosure, let me add that the friend I mentioned in my opening paragraph is the author of this book. Thank you, Ellen Meeropol, for once again reaching back and helping me along the path of examining conviction.
Expected publication: March 3rd 2015 by Red Hen Press
May 23, 2021
This held my interest but was very predictable.
March 3, 2015
Good fiction puts you in the shoes of the characters and wraps you up in their lives for 300 pages. It paralyzes you, because all else in life suddenly becomes less important - you just have to get back to reading the story. So prepare to put your life on hold for a bit while you travel to the coast of Maine to read On Hurricane Island. On Hurricane Island portrays the detainment of a US citizen - a hapless math professor - in terrifying detail. Told from the point of view of multiple characters, the story moves at a breakneck pace. Like Meeropol's novel House Arrest, this, too, is a well-crafted novel, with family secrets woven into the mix. I love the characters. Quirky Gandalf; the impressionable but brave Austin; the loving father Ray. The multiple perspectives works really well - in some books, jumping back and forth from different points of views can sometimes feel choppy, but it's very well done in Hurricane Island and cleverly moves the story forward, minute by minute. SPOILER ALERT If I have one criticism it's that the "bad guy" character isn't as nuanced as the other characters - he's pretty much all awful, and I wanted to see a little more humanity in him, because Meeropol's strength is in showing humanity.
March 14, 2015
This psychological thriller examines the story of everyone involved in a Homeland Security detention center, from the reluctant FBI agent, to the clueless suspected terrorist, to the worried grandfather of the young civilian woman who takes a job as a guard to escape her past, to the the rogue interrogator, all presented in a way that has the reader shifting loyalties from chapter to chapter. This novel is fast paced and exciting, but it's not all action because the characters are amazingly real with compelling, understandable motives. What happens in the detention center is far too believable, and, to me, that's what was really frightening. If you're an American citizen, you need to read this book.
October 10, 2015
This is a novel that is so close to the truth that you will likely suffer the same fate that I did, which was to stay up all night to finish it. An arm of the government has taken an unsuspecting academic woman and stripped her of all rights. And no one will ever find her unless she uses all of her wits to understand what's going on. This skillful writer places her characters in a world full of contradictions: beautiful settings and civilian detention camps, guards who question the ethics of their job and guards who are seduced by their own false power, and loyalty to family balanced with loyalty to their country. This is a powerful read.
September 21, 2014
I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this wonderful book. HURRICANE ISLAND takes us into the world of an imprisoned math professor who is clueless as to why she’s being interrogated. We enter the reality of federal agents facing terrifying expectations, and of a rookie civilian employee horrified by secret tasks thrust on her. Ellen Meeropol’s masterful novel rings of truth—a petrifying truth that had me whipping pages, covering my eyes, and questioning how much I really know about the growing cost of the war on terror.
April 19, 2015
all right....
September 23, 2015
One of the best mystery books I ever read. What a page turner. Grabbed it every free moment I had, wished I could have just sat and read it cover to cover.
July 12, 2016
Loved this book.
May 31, 2016
A well written page turner!
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