The Enchanted Islands

by Ainslie Conway

This is a new release of the original 1947 edition.

Genres: Memoir

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 27, 2013

Reviews

[Alan Spinrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of a pair of books by Galapagos homesteaders in the 1930s. This author stayed several years. The other stayed forever and raised a family there. This book is more lushly written, perhaps because it was not translated. There is substantial overlap in the books (the other is Floreana),so it is fun reading two different perspectives of the same events.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir is a compelling story of a couple, Frances and Ainsley Conrad, who moved from California to the Galapagos Islands in the late 1930's. This is the memoir that inspired the novel "Enchanted Islands" by Allison Amend. The novel offers some really interesting plot twists on their lives beyond what was offered in this memoir. The Conrads' actual travels and experiences are fascinating, though. I would suggest reading the memoir first, before reading Amend's fictional interpretation.