Who among us doesn't dream of running away to a deserted island, leaving behind our problems, big and small? When Ann, an intelligent attorney, and her husband Richard, a talented chef, run away from their financial woes to the South Pacific, they encounter a cast of
…more memorable characters. Indeed, "The Last Good Paradise" by Tatjana Soli is a character driven novel with an aging rock star, his beautiful young girlfriend, and a reclusive island owner, among others. Although at first glance, some of the characters seem to be stereotypes and/or caricatures, Soli manages to inject multi-faceted and, at times, unexpected dimensions to their personalities. A contrived, political plot twist more than halfway through delivered the only hiccup in an otherwise immensely readable book. (less)