Customer Reviews

Floreana

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Jill and I went to the Galapagos Islands in 1996, something we had wanted to do for several years. In preparation, we collected information on the islands by previous travelers, and this is the first of many books we read about these isolated islands in the Pacific, roughly 600 miles west of Equador on the South American mainland.

Wittmer, her husband Heinz, and her stepson Harry originally landed on Floreana in 1932. The only other people on Floreana were two fellow German nationals: Dr. Ritter, a self-avowed vegetarian and nudist who was determined to prove his theory that a human could live double their normal span if they followed his ideas on purity of mind and spirit, and his most devoted disciple, Dora. They initially lived in a natural cave previously used by pirates in the 1800s, then built a successive series of homes. Wittmer gives birth to the first human native of Floreana, they battle wild cattle for possession of their garden, encounter the "Empress of Floreana," ad survive at least three different Equadorian governors, one of which tries to have them evicted. Their visitors include American millionaires on round-the-world cruises, the crew of cargo vessels that kindly stop to deliver and pick up mail in a sort of marine pony express, several scientists and naturalists including the famed explorer Thor Heyerdahl, and presidents of both Equador and the United States.

Wittmer's account is not so much about the islands than it is about herself and her family's struggle to survive on the island. That doesn't mean you don't come away from Floreana with an understanding of the islands--you do, but the point-of-view is that of the settler, rather than what one has come to expect of from the Galapagos (say, Darwin's scientific accounts from Voyage of the Beagle).

I've often said that travel accounts (even of the sedentary nature as this one) resemble science fiction. Both treat a human encounter with the unknown in a factual nature, one being fiction and the other factual. In Floreana, isolated from normal human civilization, Wittmer and her family experience a true alien encounter with our world and its native creatures.

I'm so glad Margret Wittmer wrote of her experiences on Floreana. I really enjoyed reading about her and her husband building a family and a farm on this Galapagos Island. It was so unique and interesting that I believe her story will stay with me for a long time.

I just finished reading this book. It was a page turner (if you like books of this sort)! You do not really learn much about the Galapagos, but you do learn a great deal about living life on a remote island. Margret Wittmer and her family left their native land of Germany in 1932 and arrived on the little island of Floreana. And they ended up spending the rest of their lives there! It is a real pioneer story! Life was a struggle at times. But they carved out an amazing but simple life for themselves. At times they were alone on the island, but at other times other people were living on the island as well. You would think that a handful of people on a little island could all get along. Right? Wrong! Some real "characters" lived on the island at times and made life challenging for the Wittmers. So some intrigue and mystery is thrown in there too. Wittmer is an excellent writer and I really enjoyed reading this story of her life. She died in the year 2000 I believe.

I highly recommend reading this book along with John Trehernes book on the Galapagos mystery which covers this period of Floreana's history. Margaret Wittmer and her husband and son were three of the first people to live on the tiny and almost deserted island of Floreana in the Galapagos.

Margaret and her husband settled there in the 1930's - nearby were the very strange couple Dr Ritter and his acolyte and lover Dora. Later another very strange woman settled there (the result being a strange disappearance and death) but these are secondary in some ways to the simple way of life Margaret lived on the island. The constant battles with nature to survive. It must have been astonishing in contrast to have the Millionaires yachts arriving at various intervals.

Some trials were greater than others, during her time Margaret gave birth to a new baby on her own.

This account has been written by Margaret and is highly personal. She is not a professional writer and sometimes the narrative suffers but it is powerful and detailed enough to make this a minor inconvenience. The sheer fascination of someone heading off in the 30's to live the life of a near hermitism on an isolated pacific island is compelling. The complications of politics, people and enormous egos means there is ample material to carry you through.

This is a great book. It was absoulutely unbelievable how the Wittmer's started with practically nothing to succeed even their expectations and live on Floreana for as long as they did. You'll be glued to every page.

Galapogos Islan

Galapogos Islan