While this was an interesting book, I struggled with some of the characters. I do understand that not all characters are likeable. This book was Interesting in that it was an imagining of true events. There's a little romance and a little mystery alongside nature and science. Thanks #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher for the early copy of this book.
I went in fully blind so was excited to learn this is inspired by the true story. I loved all the information about the nature and the history of the islands. Some twists took me by surprise and I gasped in shock. What did not work for me is that this book was not enough. I needed more and wanted more character development. This had a huge potential but felt more like an essay then a story that made me care.

Another entertaining and informative read from Midge Raymond! I have always been intrigued by the Galápagos Islands and I loved the way this book included real fictionalized history as well as current information about the ecosystem. The two-timeline approach works really well in this book. The story of the small group of people who actually lived on Floreana Island one hundred years ago was was already fascinating and the author’s fictional take on their lives and what happened to them made the story even more engaging and incredible. The current timeline was equally compelling. The characters were complex and the main character, Mallory was well developed. I understood that she had a secret that would be revealed but have to say that I was shocked by the nature of the secret - lots of things explained by that revelation. And of course, the informative content about the penguins and the efforts to save the species was thoughtfully incorporated into the current timeline and connected back with events that happened during the one hundred year old time period. Overall, this book is unique and creatively written and thoroughly enjoyable!

I was so excited to read a story about the Galapagos as I am hoping to go there soon! The story takes place in two different timelines, One in the 1930s &, Dore arrives to Floreana with her partner. In the present day timeline Mallory is a Penguin researcher that took a 10 yr break to from her career and returns to Floreana to continue pursuing research after a traumatic event occurs in her life.

I loved how descriptive the scenery was and I felt like I was in the Galapagos. So many references to their environment and the animals in the island. Both timelines contain secrets and some twists. It’s an emotional read explores motherhood, grief, climate change & environmental issues. It was cool to see that the stores was based on a real historical story. It was an enjoyable read!

Thank you NetGalley and Little A for this book in exchange for an honest review!

I liked this book! Solid historical fiction, and the different POVs kept me flipping pages. I wish there was a little bit more differentiation in the voices of the two POVs, though. Overall I liked this and it taught me something new that I want to read more NF about!

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. The pacing was just really slow and I couldn’t get into this one. It just didn’t pull me into the story like I was hoping. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

I DNF 3o% through it.
I had high hopes based on the description, but the first 50 pages were slow and hard to get through. There wasn’t enough to hook me and encourage me to keep reading.

I appreciated the direction the author was taking Mallory, but she fell flat for me. I was a bit more drawn to Dora’s story and would have liked more development of her. I also found the transitions a bit choppy.

Midge Raymond’s My Last Continent was a novel I found memorably compelling. Her writing style in particular, a literary narration of a scientific mind’s interaction with the world, was something I found striking. Keen for more of that, and instinctively drawn to historical fiction inspired by true events, I was eager to dive into her latest full-length fiction release Floreana.

Once again, this story’s settings are vividly depicted, with the natural environment, flora, fauna, and stifling heat of the Galapagos particularly evocative. The author’s passion for, and experience with, the world’s endangered penguin populations, shines bright from the pages also.

The animal kingdom is not the only realm in which Midge Raymond explores challenging topics. Through the alternating, narrative perspectives of present day Mallory (first-person) and Dore’s (epistolary, 1929) she delves deep into the human condition, with a focus on the expectations placed on women — both, by society and themselves.

With parallels to the mating and chick-rearing strategies of the penguins Mallory and her team are monitoring, Raymond explores relationships and motherhood, life’s meaning and its fragility, and inevitably, the burden of grief.

But was Floreana all that I had hoped for? Was it ‘gripping’, as promised in the synopsis? Unfortunately, not really.

Despite being pre-disposed to enjoying alternating narrative timelines and viewpoints, there was an imbalance between this pairing that stifled the story pacing and progression, and this thwarted my emotional engagement. Also, despite feeling sympathy for the characters, since I had foreseen the eventual twists / reveals in this novel very early on, I was underwhelmed by this novel’s conclusion.

There is much to admire within Midge Raymond’s Floreana, but as a story it just did not deliver the level of catharsis or closure I had hoped for. 3.5 Stars

When I first stumbled across Floreana, I obviously thought the cover was stunning and skimmed the synopsis, expecting it to be another book with a lovely cover but plot that wouldn’t intrigue me. I was wrong.

First, the conservation aspect made me go from skimming to focusing, which it would to a zoology student, but the crime and mystery junkie in me had to immediately order a copy upon learning it was based on the Galapagos Affair. I love books that are inspired by or reimagining true stories, and are always curious as to how the author will fit the facts into the fiction.

Midge Raymond delivered a slow paced yet intriguing read that I found myself appreciating more and more for each piece of the puzzle that got revealed along the pages, while balancing in a focus on conservation and life that I really enjoyed, while it also taught me several things about the Galapagos Islands, penguins and gave really well written insight to what Floreana might have been like both a hundred years ago as well as now.

Two women, living almost 100 years apart, arrive on Floreana Island, in the Galápagos. In 1929, Dore Strauch is fleeing a loveless marriage towards what she hopes is a happier future, while in the present, Mallory is there, after an absence of ten years to raise a family, to resume work on a project to build nests for the vulnerable penguin population.

Author Midge Raymond switches between each woman's perspective each chapter, giving us a sense of what has brought them to the island, what they are fleeing, and what they hope for.

Dore's chapters are straightforward, as we first meet her in Berlin, Germany, suffering from multiple sclerosis, unable to have a child (her dearest wish) and enraptured by a doctor who convinces her to go with him to Floreana, where she can rebuild her strength and they can be happy. Once there, she realizes that she and her love's interests have diverged, and she's becomes deeply unhappy, caring for their home, and getting to know the other residents, including a ferocious and arrogant woman known as the Baroness, who keeps everyone in line with her mercurial temper and the threat of violence.

Mallory's chapters are (I think) deliberately somewhat frustrating, as it's clear Mallory is hiding something, and refusing to be honest with the head of the penguin project (and her former lover), as well as herself. We do learn that her marriage is rocky, she and her husband are separated, and that Mallory has a severely allergic girl whose care consumed Mallory and put a strain on the marriage.

Mallory finds Dore's journals, which she needs translated by a photographer's assistant, who is there with the photographer whose purposes are not entirely congruent with the aims of the scientific project, but that will aid in its funding.

Mallory becomes entranced by Dore's story, and eventually, finally, is honest with her colleague, and more importantly, with herself (and the reader) about the mess of emotions that brought her back to Floreana, and to what she hoped would be the easier, less emotionally wrought and complicated life of her younger self, rather than the confusion and pain she has left behind in the States.

I like dual timeline stories, and author Midge Raymond does a nice job of drawing both Dore's and Mallory's personalities. Dore is a likeable woman, who finds consolation in her lonely life, both at home, and later on Floreana, by caring for animals. Mallory is a mess, and her reasons for silence on her life eventually make sense, even when I found her behaviour frustrating.

The story is a slow burn, as Raymond carefully teases out Dore's experiences, which were adapted from actual events in the past, and in leading Mallory to a realization about herself. I also liked the descriptions of life on Floreana both in the past and during the efforts to safeguard species in the present.

I will admit, my interest was initially piqued by this book because of the Galápagos islands, and its reference in “Schitt's Creek”, a very different story to the one told here.

I liked the two main characters in this novel, and Dore's plight particularly moved me. I was less enamoured by the author's tie between Dore to Mallory; I would have preferred if the connection had been solely based on Mallory's admiration for a tough, determined and kind woman who chose an unusual but very hard, and adventurous life for herself.

I listened and read this book, and quite enjoyed the voice talents of Abigail Reno and Elisabeth Lagelee. They brilliantly fleshed out the main characters, as well as all the other people surrounding them.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little A and Brilliance Publishing for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

I liked the nature and perspective on animals presented in this novel told through the eyes of two women, years apart. Dore is the narrator whose journals tells story of hope and resilience on Floreana. In present day, Mallory returns to the Galapagos Island to study the penguin and preserve their nests and way of life. There are a couple of reasons these women have run away to what is supposed to be a paradise . some twists and mystery make this a slow burn if a read.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

This was quite slow paced and despite extensive time spent on characters, some deeper topics were quickly brushed over. I was excited for the setting in the galapagos but that was not discussed much and really preferred one POV over the other

As a fan of dual timeline books, I especially appreciate when they are done well. I enjoyed getting to know both Dore and Mallory, as well as experiencing Galapagos along with them (albeit a century apart). The book had a steady pace, which I liked because of the character-building, but I did find it a little slow at the start.

Overall, I loved the story and look forward to reading more of Raymond's work.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions stated here are my own.

This is a dual timeline book told from the perspectives of two women, almost 100 years apart. I really enjoyed the book which takes place in a location I'm not familiar with and contains a wealth of information about penguins and other wildlife in the Galapagos. The story is based on real events and if I ever find the time I'd like to read the true accounts of those events although I get the impression no one actually knows the real story. The characters are an unusual bunch, definitely not all likeable, and I was enthralled by the story. There's a bit of romance, a mystery and excellent descriptions of the struggles the original settlers endured.

I was lucky enough to have access to the audiobook as well as a digital copy and the story lends itself well to audio. Both Abigail Reno and Elisabeth Lagelee, the narrators, did an excellent job and I listened to the majority of the book and read other parts.

TW: Cruelty to animals, reference to miscarriage

My thanks to Little A via Netgalley for a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: December 1, 2024.

A beautiful yet grief filled story. The two main characters reflect through history with their parallel lives. Very enjoyable read!

DNF at 40%. At first I really was liking the concept of this book. I love when historical fiction bounces between two timelines. The authors writing style is beautiful and I did highlight quite a few things. However, I just couldn’t keep going because the plot fell flat. I didn’t feel connected to Mallory which didn’t work for me considering she’s half of the story. Dore’s storyline held my interest more, but ultimately I put this one down.

I’d like to preface this by saying I was really looking forward to reading this book. The premise sounded great, I thought it would have been more of a mystery type of book so I requested it. I was granted the ARC and audiobook for my review. I found this to be quite dramatic and boring. The splits perspectives are usually something I enjoy, however I couldn’t really feel anything for these characters. I think this was placed into genres it doesn’t really fit into. I think I was mislead a little bit. While it wasn’t my typical genre to read, it was just ok. I think if you like fiction, women’s fiction, and romance with a lot of emotional drama, this is for you. Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with this book in the way it deserves. With the right audience, I think it will do well. The cover is gorgeous and it really drew me into reading this.

3.5 stars, this was a very quick read, I was intrigued when I read the description. I was very curious as to why Mallory was acting the way she was and when that was revealed I was not prepared at all. People deal with things in many different ways and Mallory’s was one of them. Dora seemed lost in her decisions but ultimately overcame them even if the way she did it was controversial. There were a couple twists that surprised me. I would recommend this to others. Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Floreana by Midge Raymond was truly captivating!
A remarkable story that had such fascinating characters.
The writing was incredible and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this book.

Unique setting and plot with intriguing characters. I appreciate a book with intersecting storylines and time periods.