Anna L. (annalovesbooks) reviewed on
Helpful Score: 3
ISBN 1416597441 - Mutiny on the Bounty has always been such a romanticized story that it seemed too good to be true, except in Hollywood. I chose this book for the Bounty story, without reading the blurbs or reviews and kind of wish I could un-read it.
On Pitcairn, the island that the mutineers of the Bounty settled with several Tahitian men and women, things look a lot like paradise on the surface. A small, insulated population lives distant from the world, with a very limited number of immigrants and outsiders, aside from short-term visitors in the form of tourists. One young girl's claims that she has been raped suddenly rip off the mask that the islanders have worn for two hundred years and, with the floodgates open, woman after woman comes forward, exposing a history of child abuse that will - and probably shouldn't - shock the reader. More shocking, however, is the response of the rest of the islanders, particularly the women. Their defense of the accused men is almost beyond comprehension. The author and several other reporters become part of the story, spending time on the island to cover the sensational events that followed.
That anyone can be surprised by the events on Pitcairn is a sure sign of the strength of the myth that surrounds it. Romanticized in movies and books, Pitcairn is a place that people want to cling to - it sounds innocent, peaceful and idyllic and has the extra romance of the pirate touch. Still, it stands to reason that, if you put a group of lawless men and a small group of locals on an island in the middle of nowhere, with no societal constraints and largely cut off from outsiders, the end result is likely to be ugly. With only one approach to the island available and that approach accessible only with the help of those on the island, and no means of escape without assistance, the island population was bound to become inbred and governed by the physically strongest among them. This, of course, in no way excuses what happened; even isolated people have a sense of right and wrong. Add into the equation the writings found in older books and reports about the island, many of which suggest that this culture of abuse dates back to the very beginning, and it's hard not to blame British officials, as well as the abusers, for seeming to turn a blind eye to the situation.
Author Kathy Marks does a surprisingly good job of making the incomprehensible abuse on Pitcairn understandable. Not acceptable, just understandable. She writes a very readable story that draws you in, even if your instinct is to not look; she gives both sides of the story, although it seems obvious that her own treatment by the islanders (mostly in the form of threats, some veiled and others not so much) affected her storytelling eventually. I come away from the book of two minds: on the one hand, I can't help but be appalled by the entire story, by the light punishments of the men and by the women who defended them (and still do), which leaves me thinking that depopulating the island sounds like a great idea because there's no evidence whatsoever that anything will change when the people refuse to acknowledge what happened. On the other hand, Pitcairn has a unique and compelling place in history and for this case, or another like it in the future, to be the final word on it seems to be a terrible shame. I sincerely hope that Pitcairn bounces back and that there is no repeat of this story. As I said, I'd almost like to un-read this book. At the same time, I'm so glad that I did, because it's eye-opening as well as train-wreck-fascinating.
- AnnaLovesBooks
On Pitcairn, the island that the mutineers of the Bounty settled with several Tahitian men and women, things look a lot like paradise on the surface. A small, insulated population lives distant from the world, with a very limited number of immigrants and outsiders, aside from short-term visitors in the form of tourists. One young girl's claims that she has been raped suddenly rip off the mask that the islanders have worn for two hundred years and, with the floodgates open, woman after woman comes forward, exposing a history of child abuse that will - and probably shouldn't - shock the reader. More shocking, however, is the response of the rest of the islanders, particularly the women. Their defense of the accused men is almost beyond comprehension. The author and several other reporters become part of the story, spending time on the island to cover the sensational events that followed.
That anyone can be surprised by the events on Pitcairn is a sure sign of the strength of the myth that surrounds it. Romanticized in movies and books, Pitcairn is a place that people want to cling to - it sounds innocent, peaceful and idyllic and has the extra romance of the pirate touch. Still, it stands to reason that, if you put a group of lawless men and a small group of locals on an island in the middle of nowhere, with no societal constraints and largely cut off from outsiders, the end result is likely to be ugly. With only one approach to the island available and that approach accessible only with the help of those on the island, and no means of escape without assistance, the island population was bound to become inbred and governed by the physically strongest among them. This, of course, in no way excuses what happened; even isolated people have a sense of right and wrong. Add into the equation the writings found in older books and reports about the island, many of which suggest that this culture of abuse dates back to the very beginning, and it's hard not to blame British officials, as well as the abusers, for seeming to turn a blind eye to the situation.
Author Kathy Marks does a surprisingly good job of making the incomprehensible abuse on Pitcairn understandable. Not acceptable, just understandable. She writes a very readable story that draws you in, even if your instinct is to not look; she gives both sides of the story, although it seems obvious that her own treatment by the islanders (mostly in the form of threats, some veiled and others not so much) affected her storytelling eventually. I come away from the book of two minds: on the one hand, I can't help but be appalled by the entire story, by the light punishments of the men and by the women who defended them (and still do), which leaves me thinking that depopulating the island sounds like a great idea because there's no evidence whatsoever that anything will change when the people refuse to acknowledge what happened. On the other hand, Pitcairn has a unique and compelling place in history and for this case, or another like it in the future, to be the final word on it seems to be a terrible shame. I sincerely hope that Pitcairn bounces back and that there is no repeat of this story. As I said, I'd almost like to un-read this book. At the same time, I'm so glad that I did, because it's eye-opening as well as train-wreck-fascinating.
- AnnaLovesBooks
