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The Mango Orchard
As a child, Robin Bayley was enchanted by his grandmother's stories of Mexican of bandits, wild jungle journeys, hidden bags of silver and a narrow escape from the bloody Mexican Revolution. But Robin sensed there was more to these stories than anyone knew, and so he set out to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather.The Mango Orchard is the story of parallel journeys' a hundred years apart, into the heart of Latin America. Undaunted by the passage of time and a paucity of information, Robin seeks out the places where his great grandfather Arthur 'Arturo' Greenhalgh travelled and lived, determined to uncover his legacy. Along the road Robin encounters witches, drug dealers, a gun-toting Tasmanian Devil and an ex-Nazi diamond trader. He is threatened with deportation, offered the protection of Colombian guerrilla fighters and is comforted by the blessings of los santos. He falls in love with a beautiful Guatemalan girl with mystical powers and almost gives up his quest, until a sense of destiny drives him on to western Mexico and the discovery of much, much more than he had bargained for.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Robin Bayley
2 books10 followersRobin Bayley had a successful career in children’s television, when one morning he decided to leave his job and sell his apartment to travel and follow his muse. As well as uncovering the story told in The Mango Orchard, he written many articles and articles and is currently working on the screenplay for a feature film he has been commissioned to write, as well as researching for his next book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 26, 2012
I honestly don't consider the author very talented, but the story is amazing and is that kind of story that has to be said. I am really impressed by this book.
OK, I even shed a few tears in the end. :)
OK, I even shed a few tears in the end. :)
August 4, 2011
‘A magical Mexican adventure...Bayley unpicks the story of his ancestor’s adventures with much skill and persistence. He has a fine ear for dialogue with a Tarantino-style, comic-book delivery, and the ending, in which he tries to reconcile his elderly grandmother to the truth about her father, is genuinely affecting’
The Independent
‘This is a fine romance, in every sense of the word’
The Times
'The Mango Orchard... is a pure pleasure. Part travelogue, part touching family history, it artfully weaves the account of Bayley's journey with Arthur's, and the narrative builds to a revelation that will leave only the most obdurate reader unmoved.'
Independent on Sunday
'This sense of the mystical, and of a barely perceived otherworld, chimes with the Mexican experience in these pages, colourful and ghostly, eerie and vibrant, and it makes for a satisfying read.'
The Irish Times
‘Part biography, part family history and part travel diary, The Mango Orchard is at once a history lesson, cultural investigation and offers an easy and satisfying read throughout...highly entertaining’
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
'Sharply observed, very funny, and infused with the longings and possibilities of the road, it’s a succulent tale.’
Wanderlust Magazine
'This stirring book melds travel, adventure and family history together, into a rich, engaging and enjoyable whole.'
Your Family Tree
The Mango Orchard is a story that allows the imagination to run wild. It forcefully encourages the reader to think outside the box. It is the potent truth and reality behind the story that makes it both truly astonishing and an essential read.'
Real Travel Magazine
The Independent
‘This is a fine romance, in every sense of the word’
The Times
'The Mango Orchard... is a pure pleasure. Part travelogue, part touching family history, it artfully weaves the account of Bayley's journey with Arthur's, and the narrative builds to a revelation that will leave only the most obdurate reader unmoved.'
Independent on Sunday
'This sense of the mystical, and of a barely perceived otherworld, chimes with the Mexican experience in these pages, colourful and ghostly, eerie and vibrant, and it makes for a satisfying read.'
The Irish Times
‘Part biography, part family history and part travel diary, The Mango Orchard is at once a history lesson, cultural investigation and offers an easy and satisfying read throughout...highly entertaining’
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
'Sharply observed, very funny, and infused with the longings and possibilities of the road, it’s a succulent tale.’
Wanderlust Magazine
'This stirring book melds travel, adventure and family history together, into a rich, engaging and enjoyable whole.'
Your Family Tree
The Mango Orchard is a story that allows the imagination to run wild. It forcefully encourages the reader to think outside the box. It is the potent truth and reality behind the story that makes it both truly astonishing and an essential read.'
Real Travel Magazine
May 17, 2019
Un roman de ficțiune, în paralel contemporană și istorică, inspirat din întâmplări reale, din istoria complicată a unei familii împărțită în două de Revoluția din Mexic din 1916.
Se citește pe nerăsuflate, atât aventura străbunicului de la începutul secolului XX, cât și cea a strănepotului plecat în căutarea unor urme pe celălalt mal al oceanului, cu ocolișuri care îl duc prin Columbia traficanților de droguri și a guerrilleros, prin momente nu prea departe de ce trăise, la vremea lui, străbunicul călător. Iar ceea ce găsește pe țărm de Pacific, la capătul drumului, a meritat căutarea!
Eu am citit-o cu ochii celei îndrăgostite de Mexicul istoric, dar oricui ar putea să-i placă, măcar perspectiva contemporană...
Se citește pe nerăsuflate, atât aventura străbunicului de la începutul secolului XX, cât și cea a strănepotului plecat în căutarea unor urme pe celălalt mal al oceanului, cu ocolișuri care îl duc prin Columbia traficanților de droguri și a guerrilleros, prin momente nu prea departe de ce trăise, la vremea lui, străbunicul călător. Iar ceea ce găsește pe țărm de Pacific, la capătul drumului, a meritat căutarea!
Eu am citit-o cu ochii celei îndrăgostite de Mexicul istoric, dar oricui ar putea să-i placă, măcar perspectiva contemporană...
September 4, 2011
Absolutely loved it. What a story and a journey to know your roots.
September 4, 2022
I'm sure this was really exciting and memorable to live through. It was an engaging story of someone having a variety of hair raising and heart warming experiences tracing his grandfather's footsteps in the Americas but I think it was less exciting or memorable to read about so only 3 stars.
December 2, 2017
Really enjoyed this book - Robin goes on an incredible family journey to central which, beyond all odds, renders an incredible find. Given the chances of what he finds it was very readable and made me wonder if I should do the same!
I thought the story would contain more heart-in-mouth moments given where and how I got this recommendation, but what I liked about this story was that it was all feasible and believable.
This is a great read and kept me feeling pleasantly satisfied.
I thought the story would contain more heart-in-mouth moments given where and how I got this recommendation, but what I liked about this story was that it was all feasible and believable.
This is a great read and kept me feeling pleasantly satisfied.
Read
April 25, 2011Fantastic book kept me interested from beginning to end could hardly believe that it was a true story, exciting, intriguing a real mexican experience.
April 15, 2019
I just loved this TRUE story of searching for family past history. I have a book to read while I am drying my hair so read in very short bursts and sometimes I lose the plot/interest as I pick up and put down too many times but this book kept me enthralled throughout.
August 22, 2019
A compelling family history travelogue.
April 23, 2024
It was an interesting read
May 31, 2024
Fantastic story to read whilst I am abroad on my own trip in Central/South America!
January 23, 2019
Mereu m-au fascinat plaiurile din acel colț al lumii, clima, limba vorbită, obiceiurile, oamenii plini de căldură, lipsiți de formalism, ce pun accent înainte de toate, pe relațiile interumane.
De fapt, „Livada de mango” ne vorbește despre cultura latino-americană, unde reperele temporale își pierd importanța, spre deosebire de spațiul anglo-saxon.
„Aproape întotdeauna întârzia cam o oră, însă niciodată nu se scuza și nici nu-mi dădea vreo explicație despre unde fusese. Nu avea ceas și părea să considere timpul drept o noțiune care pur și simplu nu avea legătură cu ea.” https://literaturapetocuri.ro/livada-...
De fapt, „Livada de mango” ne vorbește despre cultura latino-americană, unde reperele temporale își pierd importanța, spre deosebire de spațiul anglo-saxon.
„Aproape întotdeauna întârzia cam o oră, însă niciodată nu se scuza și nici nu-mi dădea vreo explicație despre unde fusese. Nu avea ceas și părea să considere timpul drept o noțiune care pur și simplu nu avea legătură cu ea.” https://literaturapetocuri.ro/livada-...
March 11, 2021
Heartwarming
Heartwarming auto-biographical story of a journey of discovery, instinctive purpose to find answers and the power of a familial bond.
Heartwarming auto-biographical story of a journey of discovery, instinctive purpose to find answers and the power of a familial bond.
January 20, 2013
I suppose that every location on earth spawns stories of serendipitous reunions. Logically it seems that should be true, but I wonder if the magic of Mexico doesn’t somehow play into old friends unexpectedly bumping into one another on a beach or new acquaintances who are related to our childhood playmates.
Recently an author in England asked if Harper could send me a copy of his new book for my review. I was reaching for the email delete button when I realized he had written the granddaddy of all unexpected encounter stories – The Mango Orchard: The Extraordinary True Story of a Family Lost and Found.
Robin Bayley worked hard to create the perfect life in London – a great flat, a good social life and a successful career with a stint as a popular personality on children’s TV. He walked away from it all to come to Mexico and to follow in the steps of his Great-Grandfather Arthur Greenhalgh who had worked “in a small town near a mango orchard…not far from Guadalajara” in the decade before the Mexican Revolution.
The tales of his great-grandfather’s Mexican adventures had been the topic of the bedtime stories told to Robin by his grandmother. Then, when photos of Mexico and other memorabilia were found in a forgotten suitcase in the attic, Robin’s curiosity was sparked and the yearning he’d always felt to know more about journeying ancestor intensified. He knew he had to discover the rest of his great-grandfather’s story. For years Robin had felt there was more to Greenhalgh’s time in Mexico. Secrets, or at least omissions seemed to hover over the fantastic tales of travel and exploration.
In The Mango Orchard, part of which was written in the home of an Ajijic friend, Robin relates his experiences and compares them to his great-grandfather's path from England to Vera Cruz (with serendipitous detours and side trips) and then to Guadalajara and beyond to the small village of Bella Vista near Tepic where his ancestor was the manager of a cotton mill.
The trip and the generational issues related in The Mango Orchard are enough to frame a fascinating book, but once Robin discovered the truth in his nagging hazy feeling that there was a secret, the story erupts with more, lots more.
Soon after his arrival in Bella Vista Robin found folks who not only remembered his great-grandfather’s name, he found people named for Arthur Greenhalgh.
And so Robin met the Arturos and Pedros and Manuels Bella Vista, all relatives, all 400 or so grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the English Methodist, Arthur Greenhalgh. Once past the shock, Robin basked the glow of his Mexican family, learning that they were the descendants of Greenhalgh’s Mexican daughter Maria Eva (Quitita) who raised a family of 13.
A family reunion is a good conclusion for a tale of travel and family. But Robin had the good fortune to take the story to the next plane. When he gently revealed his findings to his 90-year-old grandmother, she not only accepted the revelation of a (deceased) half-sister with grace and style, she became determined to go meet the hundreds of new-found Mexican nieces and nephews.
From our Mexican perspective, it is easy for us to imagine the warmth and joy with which the new-found matriarch was received in Bella Vista.
A story of this ilk could easily become sappy or trite, or even taken to the peaks of sensationalism to spur the sale of books and the interest of the reviewers – but that would only have evolved with a less experienced writer and a lesser individual. Obviously Robin’s television and publication experience prepared him well. Not only does he tell a succinct story, he knows his way around a well-turned phrase and an eloquently simple sentence.
Robin Bayley’s The Mango Orchard: The Extraordinary True Story of a Family Lost and Found is a wonderful addition to any shelf of books about Mexico. It’s another view of the history and foreign influences of this country, but above all…it’s a book about family you will want to read.
Recently an author in England asked if Harper could send me a copy of his new book for my review. I was reaching for the email delete button when I realized he had written the granddaddy of all unexpected encounter stories – The Mango Orchard: The Extraordinary True Story of a Family Lost and Found.
Robin Bayley worked hard to create the perfect life in London – a great flat, a good social life and a successful career with a stint as a popular personality on children’s TV. He walked away from it all to come to Mexico and to follow in the steps of his Great-Grandfather Arthur Greenhalgh who had worked “in a small town near a mango orchard…not far from Guadalajara” in the decade before the Mexican Revolution.
The tales of his great-grandfather’s Mexican adventures had been the topic of the bedtime stories told to Robin by his grandmother. Then, when photos of Mexico and other memorabilia were found in a forgotten suitcase in the attic, Robin’s curiosity was sparked and the yearning he’d always felt to know more about journeying ancestor intensified. He knew he had to discover the rest of his great-grandfather’s story. For years Robin had felt there was more to Greenhalgh’s time in Mexico. Secrets, or at least omissions seemed to hover over the fantastic tales of travel and exploration.
In The Mango Orchard, part of which was written in the home of an Ajijic friend, Robin relates his experiences and compares them to his great-grandfather's path from England to Vera Cruz (with serendipitous detours and side trips) and then to Guadalajara and beyond to the small village of Bella Vista near Tepic where his ancestor was the manager of a cotton mill.
The trip and the generational issues related in The Mango Orchard are enough to frame a fascinating book, but once Robin discovered the truth in his nagging hazy feeling that there was a secret, the story erupts with more, lots more.
Soon after his arrival in Bella Vista Robin found folks who not only remembered his great-grandfather’s name, he found people named for Arthur Greenhalgh.
And so Robin met the Arturos and Pedros and Manuels Bella Vista, all relatives, all 400 or so grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the English Methodist, Arthur Greenhalgh. Once past the shock, Robin basked the glow of his Mexican family, learning that they were the descendants of Greenhalgh’s Mexican daughter Maria Eva (Quitita) who raised a family of 13.
A family reunion is a good conclusion for a tale of travel and family. But Robin had the good fortune to take the story to the next plane. When he gently revealed his findings to his 90-year-old grandmother, she not only accepted the revelation of a (deceased) half-sister with grace and style, she became determined to go meet the hundreds of new-found Mexican nieces and nephews.
From our Mexican perspective, it is easy for us to imagine the warmth and joy with which the new-found matriarch was received in Bella Vista.
A story of this ilk could easily become sappy or trite, or even taken to the peaks of sensationalism to spur the sale of books and the interest of the reviewers – but that would only have evolved with a less experienced writer and a lesser individual. Obviously Robin’s television and publication experience prepared him well. Not only does he tell a succinct story, he knows his way around a well-turned phrase and an eloquently simple sentence.
Robin Bayley’s The Mango Orchard: The Extraordinary True Story of a Family Lost and Found is a wonderful addition to any shelf of books about Mexico. It’s another view of the history and foreign influences of this country, but above all…it’s a book about family you will want to read.
July 5, 2017
I really enjoyed the first half or so of the book. I wish the pictures had been later in the book as they give away some of the story. I thought the ending dragged on a bit. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads
September 4, 2012
Robin Bayley grew up in England hearing stories from his grandmother. Most of these stories centered around his heroic great-grandfather, her father. Arthur Greenhalgh had journeyed to Mexico a hundred years ago to seek his fortune. He established himself, sent for Robin's great-grandmother and married her. They had one child but as the political climate became more dangerous, Arthur sent her back to England. They lived apart for several years, and Robin's grandmother was born and was past her toddler years before she ever saw her father. Arthur finally left Mexico for good as the bloody Mexican Revolution erupted.
Somehow Robin always felt there was more to the story, some unfinished business of his great-grandfathers that only he could resolve. At loose ends in England, he decided to retrace Arthur's footsteps and see if he could recreate his life. He went to America, then on to South America. He stopped for a month to learn more Spanish, then continued his journey. Along the way he met witches, drug dealers, military bureaucrats who tried to make travel difficult, and everywhere, warm loving people. The people were poor, but what they had they were willing to share. Robin was able to locate the village his great-grandfather lived in, and it and it's people made their way into his heart. There were surprises everywhere, but at the end of his journey, he knew his family history and all that went on.
The Mango Orchard is a fascinating look at both the region, its people and Bayley's journey. His discoveries and travels are compelling enough to make this book a page-turner, and his optimism and enthusiasm are catching. This book is recommended for readers of travel writing and anyone interested in tracing their heritage.
Somehow Robin always felt there was more to the story, some unfinished business of his great-grandfathers that only he could resolve. At loose ends in England, he decided to retrace Arthur's footsteps and see if he could recreate his life. He went to America, then on to South America. He stopped for a month to learn more Spanish, then continued his journey. Along the way he met witches, drug dealers, military bureaucrats who tried to make travel difficult, and everywhere, warm loving people. The people were poor, but what they had they were willing to share. Robin was able to locate the village his great-grandfather lived in, and it and it's people made their way into his heart. There were surprises everywhere, but at the end of his journey, he knew his family history and all that went on.
The Mango Orchard is a fascinating look at both the region, its people and Bayley's journey. His discoveries and travels are compelling enough to make this book a page-turner, and his optimism and enthusiasm are catching. This book is recommended for readers of travel writing and anyone interested in tracing their heritage.
April 16, 2015
The Mango Orchard is an epic true family story. The author grew up on stories of his adventurous great-grandfather, who moved to Mexico to run a cotton mill until the Mexican Revolution sent him back home. So he decides to follow in his footsteps to find the real man behind the family legends. His journey takes him from New York via Guatemala, Colombia and Venezuela to Mexico, where he tries to track down what’s only described as a small town with a mango orchard near Lake Guadalajara. The book starts “I remember the first time I had the feeling that somewhere, something was waiting for me, in a land I didn’t yet know”. And it turns out he was right, as he follows the twists and turns of his great-grandfather’s story he discovers a new Mexican family.
April 20, 2011
Robin's Great Grandfather lived and worked in Mexico around the turn of the 20th century. A hundred years later Robin follows in his footsteps with a vague feeling there is something to find 'in a small town near a small town near Guadalajara'. Undertaking a long and winding journey into the unknown, Robin encounters bandits, guerilla fighters and witches as he travels around South and Latin America, eventually finding all he was looking for and more.
Witty, fascinating and entertaining, this is deeply evocative of the sights and smells of Mexico, making me want to visit despite his brushes with bandits. Definitely worth reading.
Witty, fascinating and entertaining, this is deeply evocative of the sights and smells of Mexico, making me want to visit despite his brushes with bandits. Definitely worth reading.
May 10, 2011
I won this book on Goodreads Giveaways.
This book is essentially a travelogue telling the true story of a journey the author made to Mexico. The author used to be told stories by his grandmother about the years her father (his great grandfather) spent in Mexico.
The author decides to retrace his great-grandfathers journey to try and find out more about him. On his way he meets many friendly people and eventually uncovers an enormous secret his great grandfather had hidden from his family.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is full of colourful encounters and humerous moments. It is well written and sucks you into the story completely. I would recommend it highly.
This book is essentially a travelogue telling the true story of a journey the author made to Mexico. The author used to be told stories by his grandmother about the years her father (his great grandfather) spent in Mexico.
The author decides to retrace his great-grandfathers journey to try and find out more about him. On his way he meets many friendly people and eventually uncovers an enormous secret his great grandfather had hidden from his family.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is full of colourful encounters and humerous moments. It is well written and sucks you into the story completely. I would recommend it highly.
July 24, 2018
Real life Robin Bayley learns, through his own grandmother, of her father Arthur’s adventures that intrigue him enough to retrace the journey from England through North America into Central American and Mexico and to uncover truth from story. The books captivates the reader from the beginning including a falling in love experience in Mexico---biography, family history, travel diary, and cultural immersions. After various adventures the meeting of so many "relatives and friends or acquaintances" left me starting to bog down as to who was who? After awhile I felt like the reader had to spend to much effort trying to keep track of every thing and every one.
July 30, 2011
A good idea but disappointing. The author meets many fascinating and kind people on his quest but remains a cipher himself. There is no back-story about who he is and why the search should be important. He is not generous of himself or in his interactions. My disappointment was compounded when he reveals that the book is an amalgam of two visits ten years apart. it made me doubt the truthfulness of the quoted speech and historical present-tense recreations of Arturo's life.
May 27, 2012
I simply loved this book. I read it in one sitting and after I finished I just sat there, letting the extraordinary story wash over me. I really connected with both Robin and his mind-blowing journey – and what especially resonated with me was the fact that he had the courage to give up everything to follow his dream. I would recommend The Mango Orchard to anyone who wants passion, adventure, excitement and a touching discovery.
July 2, 2012
I was attracted to this book because I love to travel, and love reading about far-flung destinations. The Mango Orchard has plenty of vivid and wonderful descriptions, but it's much more than that - the story which unfolds as Robin retraces his great-grandfather's steps is poignant, sweet, and oft-times funny. A beautiful telling of a fantastic story.
May 4, 2016
Although the book was easy to read, found it a bit unbelievable at times considering it is claiming to be a true story. I have to wonder if the author embellished the story a bit. Hard to believe that so many thing went wrong and then worked themselves out perfectly during his journey. The story was still nice and did find myself engaged throughout.
October 5, 2014
Certainly we all have a bit of "unknown" history somewhere in our past generations, but this one is more unique.
Truth is bit more interesting that a fiction in this book.
Enjoyed the background, the journey and the unfolding of the combined family.
Truth is bit more interesting that a fiction in this book.
Enjoyed the background, the journey and the unfolding of the combined family.
July 30, 2013
Lovely book. The writing is clear and simple and non-fancy and then, every now and again, he turns a genius phrase at you!
The story gradually grows all over you. It is twice as magical for being true. It is a parable for the importance of heritage and genealogy. I cried at the end.
The story gradually grows all over you. It is twice as magical for being true. It is a parable for the importance of heritage and genealogy. I cried at the end.
Read
October 27, 2011It kept my interest throughout although I doubt I would read again.
March 17, 2012
Good book, easy reading and gives a good picture of central America. Some very amusing parts
May 14, 2012
Loved this book from the very first page.
A good summer read. I would love to see it made into a movie.
A good summer read. I would love to see it made into a movie.
August 26, 2012
A quick and thoroughly enjoyable read about an Englishman's retracing of his great-grandfather's steps in Mexico at the turn of the 20th century, and the family he found in the process.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews