Why a Booktrail?
A children’s tale based on a true story of how the island of St Helena came to be.
The Faraway Island
What you need to know before your trail
“There once was an unhappy man who longed to be all on his own,”
and according to the tale, he jumps ship in the middle of the ocean and swims to a barren rock poking out from the water. He decides to make it his home and he thinks he will be peaceful there and not be bothered by anyone. So he starts to plant rice and enjoy life. But one day sailors come ashore and are surprised to see rice growing in such a remote place. They leave behind plants and birds and before long, the island is thriving with fat juicy bananas and lots of other tasty treats. Life is good and getting better.
But across the waters, the Queen of Portugal has heard of this island and she is curious to know more.
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
This is the true story of how one man, Fernando Lopez, single-handedly changed a barren island in the middle of the Atlantic into beautiful St. Helena. The island which was nothing more than a barren of rock soon then became like a garden paradise of sorts as sailors left behind plants and seeds which then grew into all kinds of fruit and food, populating the island into a rich and lush tropical paradise.
It became the place to visit, the stopping off point for Portuguese sailors as they returned home from Asia. Fernando who had first arrived on the island became its guardian and took the gifts offered by the sailors passing by and turned them into something much more. They would take what they need and leave something behind – a cycle of give and take, much like the waves which lap up at the side of the island.
The transformation of the island from a barren rock into a lush, rich a landscape is evoked vividly with the gorgeous illustrations. This was the dream of one man and he lived it. He loved isolation and was fascinated by the passing sailors and their tales of sea exploration and the men who risked their lives on such long and perilous journeys
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