jamiereadthis Written on May 23, 2017 4 of 5 stars It was time to read something contemporary instead of historical, and I picked the right book to do it. Richland surprised me with the ways she avoided cliché and dramatics. For a story that deals with physical trauma for an Afghan war vet, that’s no small feat. Throw in marine biology, a slow-blooming friendship, really great dialogue (while one of the parties has aphasia, no less), and this book snuck right up on me. High praise indeed.