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sevenlefts 's review for:
Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World
by Joan Druett
I saw this on Donna,s list of to-read books. We both have a fondness for books about exploration, oceans, shipwrecks and the like, so I knew she must have picked this for a good reason. Sorry I beat you to this, Donna, but I know you're going to like it.
In 1864, two very different groups of men were shipwrecked on the Auckland Islands, 250 miles south of New Zealand. Marooned at opposite ends of the islands, the two groups never encountered each other. One group was resourceful, mutually supportive, and generally made the best of an 18-month ordeal. The other group lacked leadership, exhibited little compassion for their fellows, and basically fell to pieces. Using diaries, memoirs and various reports, Druett pieced together what likely happened and produced a quickly readable narrative.
In addition to these men's stories, the reader is introduced to the geography, flora and fauna of these remote islands, and a little of their history before these events and after. Readers who know their way around an ocean-going vessel and have a bit of knowledge of sailing might absorb more than I did, but I didn't find the jargon too off-putting.
Although I don't read them in books as often as I should, the reader would be rewarded by taking the time to peruse her Author's Notes. Their thorough, well-written, and full of praise for the librarians who helped her. I love authors who do that. And I love that the books ends with the list of rules for visitors visiting the Auckland Islands today. It made me chuckle.
In 1864, two very different groups of men were shipwrecked on the Auckland Islands, 250 miles south of New Zealand. Marooned at opposite ends of the islands, the two groups never encountered each other. One group was resourceful, mutually supportive, and generally made the best of an 18-month ordeal. The other group lacked leadership, exhibited little compassion for their fellows, and basically fell to pieces. Using diaries, memoirs and various reports, Druett pieced together what likely happened and produced a quickly readable narrative.
In addition to these men's stories, the reader is introduced to the geography, flora and fauna of these remote islands, and a little of their history before these events and after. Readers who know their way around an ocean-going vessel and have a bit of knowledge of sailing might absorb more than I did, but I didn't find the jargon too off-putting.
Although I don't read them in books as often as I should, the reader would be rewarded by taking the time to peruse her Author's Notes. Their thorough, well-written, and full of praise for the librarians who helped her. I love authors who do that. And I love that the books ends with the list of rules for visitors visiting the Auckland Islands today. It made me chuckle.