Gail Karlsson, an environmental lawyer and author, has published an amusing and informative book describing her family's adventures sharing their house in the US Virgin Islands with a host of local creatures, including bugs, birds, bats, rats, lizards, scorpions, frogs and stray cats. Although these may not be the most popular types of wildlife in the Caribbean, they tend to be the ones visitors and residents interact with the most. They are also complex and fascinating creatures. Understanding them better can help us appreciate the intricate diversity of island life, as well as our own impact on the natural world we share with other species. By telling about her own experiences coming to the Virgin Islands from New York City, Gail Karlsson presents visitors and settlers alike with an entertaining look at the joys and challenges of life in 'paradise'.