''When the Killing's Done'' is a 2011 novel by

T. C. Boyle Thomas Coraghessan Boyle, also known as T. C. Boyle and T. Coraghessan Boyle (born December 2, 1948), is an American novelist and short story writer. Since the mid-1970s, he has published sixteen novels and more than 100 short stories. He won the ...

. The book is an environmental and family drama revolving around the Channel Islands of California—specifically Anacapa and Santa Cruz—and the controversy surrounding efforts by the National Park Service and its partners to eradicate

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

and revitalize the islands' natural communities. The novel has substantial basis in historical occurrence. Native wildlife populations on the islands, both part of Channel Islands National Park, had been pushed toward extinction by a variety of invasive species, including the golden eagle, black rats, and feral pigs and sheep. In 2001 and 2002 the National Park Service used

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

to successfully eradicate Anacapa Island's non-native black rats, and then partnered with other government agencies and the Nature Conservancy to remove feral pigs from Santa Cruz Island, which was completed in 2006.The Nature Conservancy: Santa Cruz Island
Online. Accessed May 25, 2011 In the novel, Dave Lajoy, an impassioned animal rights activist, leads an attempt to prevent NPS spokesperson and biologist Alma Boyd Takesue from removing rats and pigs from the islands. The novel also flashbacks to events on the islands during the 1940s and the 1970s.

References

External links

T.C. Boyle official web site

T.C. Boyle: When the Killing's Done
- 2011 Interview with the author on ''Bookworm'' 2011 American novels Novels by T. C. Boyle Biographical novels Channel Islands of California Novels set in California Viking Press books {{2000s-bio-novel-stub