The Island at the End of Everything

Amihan lives with her nanay on Culion, the island at the end of everything. Unlike most of the others – who came by boat to this beautiful, lush green island with blue skies – Ami was born on the island, an island of lepers. Except that they don’t use the word ‘leper’ on Culion; instead, they say that the people there are Touched.

Ami’s mother, her nanay, is her world, her everything. But Mr Zamora, a government official, has other plans, founded on segregation. Everyone on Culion is to be tested for leprosy. Those who carry the disease must live separately from those who are ‘clean’. Worst of all, children under 18 who are not Touched will be taken to an orphanage on another island.

And so, Ami, who is not Touched, must leave her mother and go with the evil Mr Zamora to a place she has never visited. She must learn how to make friends and worst of all, she must learn to live as an orphan even though her mother is alive.

The Island at the End of Everything is a beautiful book, bursting with poetry and sweetness. Every relationship in the book is intimately drawn, and often, this is what makes me love a book. Ami’s friendship with Mari and even little Kidlat are lovely, but sweetest of all is the relationship she shares with her mother, a relationship founded on kindness and care.