My Father's Island (Guinness world records little books) [Paperback]

Johanna Angermeyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003 | Series: Guinness world records little books

A true story that incorporates biography, adventure and the elements of armchair travel. Angermeyer, who grew up in Nebraska, embarks on a search to discover what happened to her father, a refugee from Hitler, on the Galapagos Islands where he and her mother had lived before his death.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author never knew her father, Hans Angermeyer, nor was she familiar with the circumstances of his last years or death. He was one of five brothers who left Nazi Germany in 1935, sailing to the Galapagos Islands to make a new home. In Ecuador, he married an American widow, Emmasha, who had a small son. They had one child and another on the way when war came. Emmasha and the children returned to the U.S.; Hans, a German national, was denied admittance. When the author was 13, the family returned to Ecuador and to the Galapagos for a meeting with relatives. Living on the island--even without amenities and with its perils--was paradise. Angermeyer learned to hunt, fish and enjoy a Robinson Crusoe-like existence. She gives an engaging account of life on the island with an extended family--and she gradually pieces together the events surrounding her father's death. It is a remarkable story of adventure, romance and the fulfillment of a dream.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Angermeyer offers an unusual look at the Galapagos Islands from the perspective of its settlers, especially her German family who fled Hitler in the 1930s. She heard of these relatives as a child in the United States and dreamed about joining them in "paradise." (Her father had hoped to settle there, too, but succumbed to illness.) Later she learned that paradise consisted mainly of rocks, fire ants, and iguanas. Life on these isolated islands was mostly a matter of survival, even in the 1960s, when she went there, but she fell in love with their beauty and eccentric people. Recommended for collections concerning this part of the world.
- Beth Clewis, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Coll., Richmond, Va.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Pelican Press; 2nd edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0954485106
• ISBN-13: 978-0954485108
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,423,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful biography and travelogue., May 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Stow, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest (Hardcover)

"My Father's Island" is absolutely delightful. The book includes a very amusing view of cultural differences as seen by young Johanna; first between America and Quito, Ecuador and then between civilized Quito and the rugged pioneer lifestyle required just a few decades ago in the Galapagos.

The flora and fauna of the islands are more accurately named and described here than in the book "Floreanna." I recommend "My Father's Island" over "Floreanna" for providing more information on the islands, the lifestyle and for a more compelling story.

I now feel that I have a better idea of the hardships and challenges faced by the early settlers to the Galapagos. And, to top it off real life love stories are included, too!

I am looking forward to Johanna Angermeyer's next book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully well-written story., September 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest (Hardcover)

"My Father's Island" captures the sense of adventure, wonder, and fear of pioneer life on the Galapagos. The story is both humorous and tragic, and the book is compelling enough to read in one sitting.

5.0 out of 5 stars My Father's Island, March 29, 2010

By 

David Hutchinson (Tampa Bay, Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest (Hardcover)

This is a must read if you are planning a trip to the Galapagos. The history of the islands is in this book as well as true information about the folks who settled there.