Where the World Ends

In 1727 Scotland, a group of boys and men are dropped on a remote island, where they go each year to collect bird meat, eggs, and oil to support life on their island of Hirta. This year, though, no one arrives to pick them up and they are left for months with no hope of being rescued as they are tested by storms, starvation, and each other. This historical novel deals with issues of isolation, loneliness, hope, and survival, and includes sensitive topics of mass death by smallpox, mass killings of birds, religious zeal, and the murder of a young boy. Best suited as a teacher-directed class novel study or independent novel for advanced readers who enjoy historical novels.