Easter Island

by Jennifer Vanderbes

Book Overview

In this extraordinary fiction debut--rich with love and betrayal, history and intellectual passion--two remarkable narratives converge on Easter Island, one of the most remote places in the world.

It is 1913. Elsa Pendleton travels from England to Easter Island with her husband, an anthropologist sent by the Royal Geographical Society to study the colossal moai statues, and her younger sister. What begins as familial duty for Elsa becomes...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385336748
• ISBN13: 9780385336741
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Random House Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Smart and engaging

Not usually a fan of historical fiction, I found this book to be exciting and mysterious. It's a fascinating look at a strange island that gives you details and facts without letting the story get bogged down in them. It also examines the values of feminism without feeling preachy or forced, by drawing you into the unique lives of the sisters and Greer. I'd recommend it to almost anyone as an easy and enjoyable read.

Wonderfully enchanting!

I loved this book! It is thoughtful and intelligent, yet totally captivating. Beautifully written, it skillfully blends the perfect balance of history and science with intriguing stories of the two heroines. On finishing the book, I was driven to read more about Easter Island, the moai, rongorongo, Katherine Routledge and Vice Admiral Graf von Spee. I hope the author is planning to write a second novel -- I shall look forward to it.

Great book

This is a superlative book on many levels. The inquiry into many mysteries surrounding Easter Island is extremely fascinating and thoroughly researched. Scientific issues are discussed in a compelling way that makes the reader understand and enjoy each new revelation, almost like a mystery being solved on C.S.I. At the same time, the two female protagonists are beautifully presented, and although seperated by several generations, their stories become interwoven in the issues that they struggle with in their inner and external lives. As a psychologist I found the description of Alice, the autist and possibly brain-damaged sister of Elsa, as well as their relationship to each other, remarkably and authentically presented. The issues related to women at different ages struggling to become respected scientific researchers are extremely well portrayed. Vanderbes's ability to interweave a myrid of topics- interpersonal, geographical, scientific and historical, is truly amazing.

Informative and Interesting

I don't understand the poor reviews of this incredible and vital novel. The characters were very compelling, their stories poignant, but even more the history, the scientific research, the mystery of Easter Island itself would have been enough to hold my attention. But then I am not put off by the science, and instead relish it. I wish more books of fiction were this well thought out and included this much science. After reading WOMEN IN THE FIELD there's a whole goldmine of future novels like this one. The way the two stories finally mesh was a sad but satisfying ending. Wonderful, I look forward to more.

Loved it from start to finish

I've read many well reviewed books of late, but few have been as riveting as this one. Remarkably well crafted, it should appeal to the scholar, romantic, scientist, historian...I just enjoyed it immensely. I do suspect that it will appeal more to the female reader than the male, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. I have seen some critics find its ending more than an acceptable leap...I found, instead, that its ending was earned - and delightful. A lovely read - I couldn't put it down.