some history inside of some history, but a good backstory.

A Tale of Two Michaels. Opposite sides of the same coin? What our hero could have become if he didn’t have a code of ethics? (assuming he does)
Love the detail of the natural beauty of the place on one hand vs. the ugliness of daily living. In two sentences the reader feels what once was (and might be again in this beautiful land) and the despair in this terrible beauty.

The opening sentences were great. The narrator (and you) seems to have extensive knowledge of the place—good research, whether from experience or not, always helps immersion in the story.