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Short Synopsis
In Island of the Lost, award-winning maritime historian Joan Druett brings an extraordinary untold story to life, a story about leadership and the fine line between order and chaos.

Full Synopsis
Auckland Island is a godforsaken place in the middle of the Southern Ocean, 285 miles south of New Zealand. With year-round freezing rain and howling winds, it is one of the most forbidding places in the world. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death.

In 1864 Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew of four aboard the schooner Grafton wreck on the southern end of the island. Utterly alone in a dense coastal forest, plagued by stinging blowflies and relentless rain, Captain Musgrave inspires his men to take action. With barely more than their bare hands, they build a cabin and, remarkably, a forge, where they manufacture their tools.

Incredibly, at the same time on the opposite end of the island, the Invercauld wrecks during a horrible storm. Nineteen men stagger ashore. Unlike Captain Musgrave, the captain of the Invercauld falls apart given the same dismal circumstances. His men fight and split up; some die of starvation, others turn to cannibalism. Only three survive. Musgrave and all of his men not only endure for nearly two years, they also plan their own astonishing escape, setting off on one of the most courageous sea voyages in history.

"An un­believable true tale told with excellent pacing, great sympathy, and wonderful research." ---Recorded Books Starred Review

"Narrator David Colacci has a very empathetic tone throughout the book, and his voice varies as he reads from the two journals to let the listener know which character is speaking." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"The amount of detail Druett has amassed is truly impressive, resulting in an invaluable account of survival." ---Booklist

"This is a fine addition to the genre of survival tales…" ---Publishers Weekly

"Depicted with consistent brio, stormy seas become epic events." ---Kirkus

"Viewers of television's Survivor and readers of survival novels will enjoy Island, and the book could provide teens with the know-how to stay alive if they ever found themselves in a similar situation." ---School Library Journal
Library Journal Audio

Island of the Lost

Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World

Author Joan Druett

Narrated by David Colacci

Publication date Apr 5, 2016

Running time 9 hrs

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