Floreana

In this dual-timeline novel, Mallory returns to conservation work in the Galápagos Islands, building nests for the endangered penguins alongside her old flame, Gavin. When she discovers 90-year-old journals written by early settler Dore Strauch, she reads (through a translator) about Dore’s years on the island, starting with why she chose to escape civilization alongside her lover. In Dore’s journals, Mallory finds some parallels to her current state of life, especially the concern for animal welfare. The journals reveal the cause of death of Dore’s lover and what really happened to them when they disappeared, never to be found. The truth behind this real-life event remains a mystery, but Raymond (My Last Continent) imagines an exciting version of events that is gripping and intriguing, while creating a vivid scene of the wild, remote island in the 1930s. The book explores wildlife conservation, survival, the struggle for existence, animal welfare and the human condition.