Border Songs by Jim Lynch. I don't know why I ordered it from the library. It's not something I would normally be interested in-Border Patrol along the US/Canadian border. I have several sites that send me titles to watch out for so it probably came from one of those. When I saw it my first reaction was that I'd read a few pages and then move on to something else. But I found it to be absolutely absorbing. The characters are so beautifully written that it's worth reading just for the character study. Brandon Vanderkool is severely dyslexic, so much so that when upset he may say entire sentences backwards. He's 6'8" tall and birds are the only creatures he totally understands and relates to. He is a true "gentle giant" and sees everything in his vicinity in absolute detail. He may have Asperger's to an extent but that is not made clear-it could be the result of his severe dyslexia and extraordinary observation of detail. You end up falling in love with him but all the other characters are just as well-written even though you may not get to know them as well. And----you end up thinking more about the problems of this particular border. While I understand it's necessary to define boundaries it hurts my heart that this particular border, just a couple of hours away from me, which I used to be able to cross with just a wave is now an emotional as well as bureaucratic nightmare.