First Lines of Joan Druett's "Island of the Lost"

"It was October 1863, early springtime in Sydney, Australia. The sun was bright, but a chilly wind whisked up the broad surface of the harbor, dashing reflections to pieces. Distinct waves rushed against islands and rocky beaches, tossing up sprays of seabirds that cried out a raucous challenge as they circled the tall masts of ships. Wood-burning steam ferries chugged across competing with the nearer rattle of the many horse-drawn trams in the city."


- Island of the Lost, Joan Druett 

A fantastic story about two shipwrecks on Auckland Island, a remote island in the sub-Antarctic ocean, a grim environment at best. One group of survivors thrived (as much as you can in such a harsh environment) and one group did not. What distinguished those two groups from each other? What did they do in order to survive? Druett takes a depth of detail and spins an entertaining survival story that paints a vivid picture of what it might be like to be living on a deserted island.