In this book we follow three humans sent to an alien planet to witness with their own eyes the wrong done in the past to humanity by the mysterious Atoners.
Spoiler alert: Stop reading now if you plan on reading this. And it is well worth reading, so don't rush on without thinking about it.
Eventually, they discover that in the past the Atoners experimented with humanity, removing DNA from ancient humans that allowed them to see the dead. When the witnesses return to earth with the story that humans should be able to see the dead, and that, therefore, there really is an afterlife, some believe and others don't. Scientists refuse to believe this is true, attributing the sight of the dead to telepathy or some other more plausible explanation.
The difference between scientific evidence and eyewitness testimony is highlighted in one exchange between Cam - a witness - and scientists. The scientist says, "Until we have any real evidence that--"
"And what I saw doesn't count as evidence?" Cam was shouting now...
"My eyewitness account doesn't mean anything? And not Frank's and not Jack's and not Andy's and not Christina's and--"
"None of you is a trained observer, are you?" Dr. Frantz said (271).
To add to her frustration, Cam is uneducated, lacking a college degree, and the scientists hold it against her (much like a modern day Mary Magdalene who witnesses the resurrection).
The Atoners truly atone (or do their best to atone), but it takes awhile to uncover how they are doing it. The final pages give us evidence of whether humans with the old DNA are truly seeing the dead. It is a fantastic finale. I really enjoyed this book!
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