The Ecliptic, by Benjamin Wood, book review: Meditations on creativity

The Princes’ Islands, off the coast of Istanbul, are the enchanting location for much of Benjamin Wood’s second novel. Having visited the islands myself, and enjoyed Wood’s evocation of their seemingly timeless world of horse-drawn carts, wooden houses, and simit bread, I suspect the setting provided the spark for The Ecliptic. Not that Wood’s novel is lacking in other departments; it’s an intelligent examination of creativity, psychology, and a riveting mystery.