In the early 1900s, the Virgin Islands are transferred from the Danish to American rule, and and important ship sinks in the Caribbean Sea. Orphaned by the shipwreck and the death of its doomed captain are two sisters and their half-brother, now faced with an uncertain identity and future. Each is unusually beautiful, and each is in possession of a particular magic that will either destroy or save them.. Uniquely imagined, told in a language and rhythm that evoke an entire world and way of life, "Land of Love and Drowning" follows on island family throught sixty years of fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, love affairs, curses, magical gifts, loyalties, births, deaths, and triumphs. Set against the story of St. Thomas, it is a gorgeous, vibrant debut.