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Gadis Tanpa Nama
Kisah Nyata Menakjubkan Tentang Seorang Anak Yang Hidup Bersama Kawanan Monyet
“Kisah menakjubkan seorang gadis yang bertahan hidup dan tumbuh bersama kawanan monyet dan kemudian berhasil menemukan kembali jati dirinya sebagai manusia.”—The Today Show
Pada 1954, di sebuah desa terpencil di pegunungan Kolombia, seorang bocah perempuan diculik dari rumahnya. Gadis kecil itu baru berumur empat tahun. Lalu, dia ditinggalkan penculiknya di tengah hutan dan terpaksa hidup di rimba belantara bersama sekawanan monyet. Selama lima tahun dia hidup bersama mereka dan mengikuti cara hidup mereka sehingga dia melupakan identitasnya sebagai manusia. Dia tidak bisa lagi berbicara seperti manusia, hanya makan buah–buahan, berjalan dengan empat tungkai, dan bertingkah laku persis seperti monyet.
Namun, suatu hari, pertemuan dengan sepasang pemburu membelokkan jalan hidupnya menuju petualangan lain yang tak kalah mendebarkan. Dia terjebak dalam pelacuran anak, bisnis narkoba, dan kerasnya kehidupan jalanan.
Memoar menakjubkan ini mengisahkan kisah hidup Marina di antara kawanan monyet serta perjuangannya untuk bisa kembali hidup normal di antara sesama manusia. Sebuah kisahnyata yang luar biasa dan menyentuh hati.
“Kisah menakjubkan seorang gadis yang bertahan hidup dan tumbuh bersama kawanan monyet dan kemudian berhasil menemukan kembali jati dirinya sebagai manusia.”—The Today Show
Pada 1954, di sebuah desa terpencil di pegunungan Kolombia, seorang bocah perempuan diculik dari rumahnya. Gadis kecil itu baru berumur empat tahun. Lalu, dia ditinggalkan penculiknya di tengah hutan dan terpaksa hidup di rimba belantara bersama sekawanan monyet. Selama lima tahun dia hidup bersama mereka dan mengikuti cara hidup mereka sehingga dia melupakan identitasnya sebagai manusia. Dia tidak bisa lagi berbicara seperti manusia, hanya makan buah–buahan, berjalan dengan empat tungkai, dan bertingkah laku persis seperti monyet.
Namun, suatu hari, pertemuan dengan sepasang pemburu membelokkan jalan hidupnya menuju petualangan lain yang tak kalah mendebarkan. Dia terjebak dalam pelacuran anak, bisnis narkoba, dan kerasnya kehidupan jalanan.
Memoar menakjubkan ini mengisahkan kisah hidup Marina di antara kawanan monyet serta perjuangannya untuk bisa kembali hidup normal di antara sesama manusia. Sebuah kisahnyata yang luar biasa dan menyentuh hati.
388 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
1033 people are currently reading
9792 people want to read
About the author
Marina Chapman
1 book53 followersNow married to an Englishman and living in Bradford, England, Marina Chapman plans to donate her share of the profits from this book to help finance charities that combat human trafficking and child slavery in Colombia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 896 reviews
September 28, 2015
I don't believe that the author was raised by monkeys. I believe, as one of the articles I read suggested, that she lived near monkeys and got to know them very well and they were perhaps, her solace, during a traumatic childhood. I think that the author and her daughter believe she was raised by monkeys though. Between disbelief and execrable writing, I couldn't finish the book. I stuck it for 20 chapters and I've given in. There is an article that brings up the point of dissociation, written by one of the less-enamoured with Chapman's feral-child story, it goes on a bit but there are some nuggets: Bullet media.
There were too many holes in the story. The revelations of how the monkeys taught her to open things with a stone are too well known. There must be things we don't know about these primates you could only get from living from them rather than observing them, but no, there isn't one. Part of the problem is that the thoughts reported are written in sophisticated language (not even the language of a child) when the author herself says she had no language at all.
She is rescued (kind of) and sold (she thinks) to be a slave in a brothel. She has no concept of turning a handle and apparently to this day she finds it difficult because you don't have to do that in the jungle (this is more than 50 years later). She understood no speech, only monkey yelps and screeches, she had no concept of names even. Yet, a few chapters later on she is speaking perfectly normally and hiding herself away to go riding in cars with prostitutes and their clients. The dialogue is certainly invented as are many of the small details and that doesn't help credulity.
I believe a lot of this is true. That somehow at a young age she did find herself working in a brothel in a menial position. She would have good memories of what she did from the age of 10 or 11 and also apparently there are people who remember the brothel she describes.
Her facility with climbing trees and making monkey whoops for her children is hardly indicative of anything. Kids around here climb coconut trees like monkeys with legs locked around the trunk; even I could climb trees as a child.
If the book had been ghost-written by a decent writer of non-fiction and edited by someone who actually cared about research and facts, maybe I would think differently, but as it stands I don't think the author is a fabulist, I think she is self-deluded and believes more or less what she says plus quite a bit of filling in since this was half a century ago. I don't think she's done it for the money either, although she obviously enjoys the fame what with interviews, documentaries back in Columbia and perhaps even a film option. I think as the title says it is an incredible story.
Searching Google for definition:incredible gives these results:
1. impossible to believe, and
2. difficult to believe; extraordinary.
Quite.
So 1.5 stars. Rounded up.
Written as I read the book
There were too many holes in the story. The revelations of how the monkeys taught her to open things with a stone are too well known. There must be things we don't know about these primates you could only get from living from them rather than observing them, but no, there isn't one. Part of the problem is that the thoughts reported are written in sophisticated language (not even the language of a child) when the author herself says she had no language at all.
She is rescued (kind of) and sold (she thinks) to be a slave in a brothel. She has no concept of turning a handle and apparently to this day she finds it difficult because you don't have to do that in the jungle (this is more than 50 years later). She understood no speech, only monkey yelps and screeches, she had no concept of names even. Yet, a few chapters later on she is speaking perfectly normally and hiding herself away to go riding in cars with prostitutes and their clients. The dialogue is certainly invented as are many of the small details and that doesn't help credulity.
I believe a lot of this is true. That somehow at a young age she did find herself working in a brothel in a menial position. She would have good memories of what she did from the age of 10 or 11 and also apparently there are people who remember the brothel she describes.
Her facility with climbing trees and making monkey whoops for her children is hardly indicative of anything. Kids around here climb coconut trees like monkeys with legs locked around the trunk; even I could climb trees as a child.
If the book had been ghost-written by a decent writer of non-fiction and edited by someone who actually cared about research and facts, maybe I would think differently, but as it stands I don't think the author is a fabulist, I think she is self-deluded and believes more or less what she says plus quite a bit of filling in since this was half a century ago. I don't think she's done it for the money either, although she obviously enjoys the fame what with interviews, documentaries back in Columbia and perhaps even a film option. I think as the title says it is an incredible story.
Searching Google for definition:incredible gives these results:
1. impossible to believe, and
2. difficult to believe; extraordinary.
Quite.
So 1.5 stars. Rounded up.
Written as I read the book
July 25, 2013
Some might say that this book cannot possibly be true, some might look at the release date and wonder if something else is up. But truth be told or not, it doesn't matter - this was an utterly engrossing read. I devoured it in 24 hours, and found myself totally immersed. The writing style, at the beginning, is written in the manner of a child - not a child as young as Marina actually was, but with the same innocence and naive outlook on the world. Why the child was dropped in the forest, we shall never know, nor how she managedf to survive on her own wits and befriend the monkeys. But her fascinating tale does not end when she leaves the rainforest - it has only just begun. She must struggle to find her way through another kind of jungle - the harsh and twisted nature of humanity, until finally she finds redemption, of a sort.
It all seems too extraordinary to be true, but yet it is still believable, and whether this is the true story, or a story she has led herself to believe, it certainly makes for a compelling read.
It all seems too extraordinary to be true, but yet it is still believable, and whether this is the true story, or a story she has led herself to believe, it certainly makes for a compelling read.
March 14, 2014
There is much controversy as to whether this story is true or not. I don't know that it really matters. I'm sure it matters to the author and to Marina herself. Regardless, the messages and circumstances in the book itself are quite good. This book has made me look at things a little differently. Maybe a little less judgmental of those who are less fortunate. We don't know how people get where they do. It has made me think of family members who were abused and adopted into our family and maybe have a little glimpse at the 'why' they do some of the things that they do...
Any book that makes me a better person, makes me stop, and look and ponder, that book gets five stars.
Any book that makes me a better person, makes me stop, and look and ponder, that book gets five stars.
February 14, 2020
5 estrelas porque é uma obra de amor!
Porque nasce da vontade de uma filha em compilar a história da vida da Mãe. E que história!
Porque me senti na pele da menina sem nome e fiquei devastada.
Porque é preciso relatos destes para nos "humanizarmos".
Vi há alguns anos o documentário na National Geographic sobre Marina Chapman e fiquei muito curiosa em saber mais.
Livro de memórias reestruturado pela escritora Lynne Barrett-Lee (coautora) que teceu um caminho coerente de todos os relatos dando-lhe uma abordagem simples, própria de uma criança pequena, tendo o cuidado de cruzar as recordações com os factos, com os pormenores reais e credíveis.
Por incrível que pareça, deparamo-nos então com o seguinte: em momentos distintos; com pessoas diversas; em ambientes diferentes o que é comum é a mesmíssima crueldade, insensibilidade e indiferença.
Por outro lado, assistimos aos laços que existem em criaturas irracionais, que as unem, que se protegem, que partilham, onde há o sentido de pertença, de família, que se afagam.
A "humanidade" em seres irracionais e o ser humano embrutecido.
INACREDITÁVEL!
Quantas vezes não teremos nós próprios virado a cara a um sem abrigo, a um andrajoso? O que o terá levado a tal infortúnio? Queremos nós saber a sua história de vida? Perdemos o nosso precioso tempo com isso?
Não. Não queremos saber na verdade.
Seguimos as nossas vidas e ignoramos a desgraça alheia.
No entanto ao lermos determinados relatos deste livro, talvez nos passe pelo pensamento "quem me dera ter estado lá para ajudar".
Será? Será que o faríamos mesmo? Ou não perderíamos o tempo necessário para desvendar as misérias que a levaram a tal...?
Emocionante!
Porque nasce da vontade de uma filha em compilar a história da vida da Mãe. E que história!
Porque me senti na pele da menina sem nome e fiquei devastada.
Porque é preciso relatos destes para nos "humanizarmos".
Vi há alguns anos o documentário na National Geographic sobre Marina Chapman e fiquei muito curiosa em saber mais.
Livro de memórias reestruturado pela escritora Lynne Barrett-Lee (coautora) que teceu um caminho coerente de todos os relatos dando-lhe uma abordagem simples, própria de uma criança pequena, tendo o cuidado de cruzar as recordações com os factos, com os pormenores reais e credíveis.
Por incrível que pareça, deparamo-nos então com o seguinte: em momentos distintos; com pessoas diversas; em ambientes diferentes o que é comum é a mesmíssima crueldade, insensibilidade e indiferença.
Por outro lado, assistimos aos laços que existem em criaturas irracionais, que as unem, que se protegem, que partilham, onde há o sentido de pertença, de família, que se afagam.
A "humanidade" em seres irracionais e o ser humano embrutecido.
INACREDITÁVEL!
Quantas vezes não teremos nós próprios virado a cara a um sem abrigo, a um andrajoso? O que o terá levado a tal infortúnio? Queremos nós saber a sua história de vida? Perdemos o nosso precioso tempo com isso?
Não. Não queremos saber na verdade.
Seguimos as nossas vidas e ignoramos a desgraça alheia.
No entanto ao lermos determinados relatos deste livro, talvez nos passe pelo pensamento "quem me dera ter estado lá para ajudar".
Será? Será que o faríamos mesmo? Ou não perderíamos o tempo necessário para desvendar as misérias que a levaram a tal...?
Emocionante!
June 4, 2013
The sort of story that once started, I have to finish in nearly one sitting. A fascinating account of a woman whose childhood was spent in part among monkeys in the Colombian jungle (as a five-year-old, she was kidnapped, then abandoned in the jungle). Later, surrendering herself to a stranger, she is sold to become a slave-worker in a brothel but her wits, along with a kindly neighbor's warning, keep her from actually becoming a prostitute. Street life and more follow but Marina's wits, well-honed in the art of survival, as well her need for genuine human connection, keep her safe for the most part and alive.
I am fascinated by wild child stories: what makes us human? What makes us 'civilized'? What are we without the human family? Marina's account of her time among monkeys adds to my appreciation of animal intelligence. More than once she is saved by a member of the clan: once, terribly ill from something she ate, she is brought to water by an elder, made to drink and hence, vomit.
Some of the other goodreads reviews doubt the veracity of the account. I do not, or at least no more than I doubt other memoirs to be 100% "true." Intrinsic in the act of writing about one's life is embellishment, and the line between memory and imagination is not always clearly drawn in our mind. But those who doubt, it seems to me, fail to consider both the incredible cruelty humans beings can have for others, the mercenary ends we engage in, the extent of human trafficking, and the capacity that the animal world, in particular primates, have for connection, empathy, and awareness.
There is one aspect that I'm not sure I believe and that is the actual length of time Marina lived with the Capuchin monkeys. Looking back with her daughter, she calculates time in terms of how much her daughter's hair grew in childhood with memories of how much her own had and comes up with x number of years. But who's to say whether her own hair would have grown at the same rate, especially given her limited diet, and more to the point, how can time spent alone as a child be calculated? I remember summers feeling like years... Seasons in the jungle are not so noticeable, so not a reliable marker of time passing. I question whether she really spent the 3 or 4 years she calculates. I don't doubt, however, that the author did live with monkeys, followed their ways and learned much that was important: what to eat, where to sleep, for example, along with playfulness and affection.
I am fascinated by wild child stories: what makes us human? What makes us 'civilized'? What are we without the human family? Marina's account of her time among monkeys adds to my appreciation of animal intelligence. More than once she is saved by a member of the clan: once, terribly ill from something she ate, she is brought to water by an elder, made to drink and hence, vomit.
Some of the other goodreads reviews doubt the veracity of the account. I do not, or at least no more than I doubt other memoirs to be 100% "true." Intrinsic in the act of writing about one's life is embellishment, and the line between memory and imagination is not always clearly drawn in our mind. But those who doubt, it seems to me, fail to consider both the incredible cruelty humans beings can have for others, the mercenary ends we engage in, the extent of human trafficking, and the capacity that the animal world, in particular primates, have for connection, empathy, and awareness.
There is one aspect that I'm not sure I believe and that is the actual length of time Marina lived with the Capuchin monkeys. Looking back with her daughter, she calculates time in terms of how much her daughter's hair grew in childhood with memories of how much her own had and comes up with x number of years. But who's to say whether her own hair would have grown at the same rate, especially given her limited diet, and more to the point, how can time spent alone as a child be calculated? I remember summers feeling like years... Seasons in the jungle are not so noticeable, so not a reliable marker of time passing. I question whether she really spent the 3 or 4 years she calculates. I don't doubt, however, that the author did live with monkeys, followed their ways and learned much that was important: what to eat, where to sleep, for example, along with playfulness and affection.
May 28, 2014
I bought this book because I love monkeys, and wanted to read this fascinating memoir about a Colombian child abducted and abandoned in a jungle, then taken in by a band of Capuchin monkeys. The writing is simple (Chapman's daughter interviewed her and they brought in a ghost writer to finish the work), but the story is riveting and revealing. While I was a tad disappointed that only about 1/4 of the book takes place in the jungle, the book does pick up when Chapman reenters society. She goes from a brothel to the streets to the home of a mafia leader to a convent, before she finds her place.
Some don't believe her story. I do. I've read some memoirs and felt that there was no way that someone could remember so many childhood conversations verbatim or so many events. To me, most of this story rings true. Chapman indicates where she is vague, and has knowledge of the jungle and animal world no one could know unless they spent vast amounts of time exploring it from a monkey's level. Having traveled through a rain forest and followed a troupe of monkeys through the trees, her descriptions sound dead on.
If some memories have been embellished, the basic story of a child surviving with animals in the jungle and then surviving the human animals in the city should give readers a window into what it means to be resilient and to hold on to what is good in you, when everything is conspiring to make you give up your life or take on the values of the oppressor.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in animals, foreign culture, and survival stories. And there may be a sequel, which I will for sure pick up. Chapman is a wise spirit, one we can all learn from.
Some don't believe her story. I do. I've read some memoirs and felt that there was no way that someone could remember so many childhood conversations verbatim or so many events. To me, most of this story rings true. Chapman indicates where she is vague, and has knowledge of the jungle and animal world no one could know unless they spent vast amounts of time exploring it from a monkey's level. Having traveled through a rain forest and followed a troupe of monkeys through the trees, her descriptions sound dead on.
If some memories have been embellished, the basic story of a child surviving with animals in the jungle and then surviving the human animals in the city should give readers a window into what it means to be resilient and to hold on to what is good in you, when everything is conspiring to make you give up your life or take on the values of the oppressor.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in animals, foreign culture, and survival stories. And there may be a sequel, which I will for sure pick up. Chapman is a wise spirit, one we can all learn from.
July 17, 2013
A good story. An incredible story. I'm not sure how I feel about this one.
The ghost-writer did a great job in spinning a provocative tale of a young Colombian girl who was kidnapped from her home, abandoned in the jungle, and left to fend for herself in the wilds. She was apparently befriended by a troupe of capuchin monkeys and lived among them for several years until her "human urges" induced her to re-connect with humans. She revealed herself to two humans (who turn out to be animal poachers), and the rest, as they say is history.
What I find most incredible is not her survival in the jungle, but her survival on the mean streets of Colombia. That's where the real animals hunt, it would seem.
After a series of heart-breaking mishaps among humans, which are spun like an adventure story for young adults, Marina finds herself transported to a "civilized" world, where finally human beings are kind to her.
I can't say I understand, or even believe, all of the things that happened to her -- it does require a truly strong and willing suspension of disbelief on my part -- but then, I wasn't raised on the streets of Colombia. Who knows what tales can be engendered in the imagination when one is struggling from day to day, just to survive? Who knows what stories you have to tell yourself at night, when you are a child and alone, to make the world make sense?
In my own imagination, I do believe that she was kidnapped, and perhaps even lost or abandoned by her kidnappers. I see her wandering lost and alone. In order to make sense of this lost world, this disconnected universe, the child builds some sort of world that makes sense to her and allows her to re-interpret the world from a 5-year-old survivalist's perspective. Perhaps she wandered in the wilderness for a week or two -- or a night or two -- and everything in her imagination became coloured by the impact of that terrible shock of separation from her known world. After that, everything was re-interpreted from the lost child in the jungle perspective.
She could not speak, human sounds at least, when she was found, but then there are any number of such situations where a truly terrible shock to the psyche renders an individual speechless for a time, sometimes years.
I'm not saying I'm a non-believer. I'm a skeptic more likely: the story of my life!
The ghost-writer did a great job in spinning a provocative tale of a young Colombian girl who was kidnapped from her home, abandoned in the jungle, and left to fend for herself in the wilds. She was apparently befriended by a troupe of capuchin monkeys and lived among them for several years until her "human urges" induced her to re-connect with humans. She revealed herself to two humans (who turn out to be animal poachers), and the rest, as they say is history.
What I find most incredible is not her survival in the jungle, but her survival on the mean streets of Colombia. That's where the real animals hunt, it would seem.
After a series of heart-breaking mishaps among humans, which are spun like an adventure story for young adults, Marina finds herself transported to a "civilized" world, where finally human beings are kind to her.
I can't say I understand, or even believe, all of the things that happened to her -- it does require a truly strong and willing suspension of disbelief on my part -- but then, I wasn't raised on the streets of Colombia. Who knows what tales can be engendered in the imagination when one is struggling from day to day, just to survive? Who knows what stories you have to tell yourself at night, when you are a child and alone, to make the world make sense?
In my own imagination, I do believe that she was kidnapped, and perhaps even lost or abandoned by her kidnappers. I see her wandering lost and alone. In order to make sense of this lost world, this disconnected universe, the child builds some sort of world that makes sense to her and allows her to re-interpret the world from a 5-year-old survivalist's perspective. Perhaps she wandered in the wilderness for a week or two -- or a night or two -- and everything in her imagination became coloured by the impact of that terrible shock of separation from her known world. After that, everything was re-interpreted from the lost child in the jungle perspective.
She could not speak, human sounds at least, when she was found, but then there are any number of such situations where a truly terrible shock to the psyche renders an individual speechless for a time, sometimes years.
I'm not saying I'm a non-believer. I'm a skeptic more likely: the story of my life!
November 26, 2013
This was a highly unusual story about a young girl, about 5 years old, kidnapped in Columbia and deserted in the jungle. She lived among the monkeys imitating and befriending them in order to survive. After years of living among the monkeys, she is finally found by a human being who sells her into slavery. She lived as a slave and was beaten regularly. She escaped and lived as a "street kid" begging and stealing on the streets of Columbia. She moved from one bad environment to another throughout her young life. However, she clearly is a survivor.
The story is being told many years later. The girl who was kidnapped is now a grandmother. Some people have criticized the story and said that it could not possibly be true. I think that it is the way this young girl remembered the experience. She was just a kid when it happened and very frightened. She's been through a lot in her life and survived. Based on what I have read elsewhere, her story about what it was like to be a "street kid" begging and stealing to survive on the streets of Columbia seemed believeable. I cannot comment on the authenticity of her story about the jungle since I have never lived in the jungle with monkeys!! I did find myself believing what she said - that the monkeys were kinder to her than the human beings she encountered. It was a very interesting story - I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I found I really cared about her. I hope that today she is enjoying a happy life with her family!
The story is being told many years later. The girl who was kidnapped is now a grandmother. Some people have criticized the story and said that it could not possibly be true. I think that it is the way this young girl remembered the experience. She was just a kid when it happened and very frightened. She's been through a lot in her life and survived. Based on what I have read elsewhere, her story about what it was like to be a "street kid" begging and stealing to survive on the streets of Columbia seemed believeable. I cannot comment on the authenticity of her story about the jungle since I have never lived in the jungle with monkeys!! I did find myself believing what she said - that the monkeys were kinder to her than the human beings she encountered. It was a very interesting story - I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I found I really cared about her. I hope that today she is enjoying a happy life with her family!
March 25, 2013
The Girl With No Name - The Incredible Story of a Child Raised by Monkeys; Marina Chapman with Vanessa James and Lynne Barrett-Lee; Pegasus Books; 2013
“The Girl With No Name” is a powerful true story of a preschooler in Colombia who is cruelly kidnapped from her home and then tragically abandoned in the remote jungles of Colombia. Alone and afraid, the traumatized 5 year old girl gradually becomes one with a group of monkeys who basically help teach her, keep her alive and accept her into their jungle family. Even after being ‘rescued’ from the jungle years later, however, the wild young child is forced to adapt and continue to fight for her very survival. Bravo, Marina Chapman, you are clearly not just a survivor, but a victor in your own life. A wonderful, true story of triumph over a difficult world, “The Girl With No Name“ is a dramatic life story not soon forgotten. Published by Pegasus Books in 2013.
I have received this book for free to review. I am a member of NetGalley, Goodreads, and Librarything. DBettenson
“The Girl With No Name” is a powerful true story of a preschooler in Colombia who is cruelly kidnapped from her home and then tragically abandoned in the remote jungles of Colombia. Alone and afraid, the traumatized 5 year old girl gradually becomes one with a group of monkeys who basically help teach her, keep her alive and accept her into their jungle family. Even after being ‘rescued’ from the jungle years later, however, the wild young child is forced to adapt and continue to fight for her very survival. Bravo, Marina Chapman, you are clearly not just a survivor, but a victor in your own life. A wonderful, true story of triumph over a difficult world, “The Girl With No Name“ is a dramatic life story not soon forgotten. Published by Pegasus Books in 2013.
I have received this book for free to review. I am a member of NetGalley, Goodreads, and Librarything. DBettenson
June 9, 2014
This book was totally fascinating and I sometimes wondered if it were fiction or non-fiction (similar to the Mutant Message from Down Under). My guess is that it is true, though in any event it is truly a case of survival and of the range of human cruelty and kindness. Here is a link that summarizes the book and includes a video interview with the author. Personally, I recommend reading it. http://www.theguardian.com/science/20...
August 21, 2013
Have you ever been asked if you were raised by monkeys during a particular miscreant childhood episode? Marina Chapman may be the only person who can answer with an affirmative. Chapman, along with daughter Vanessa James and co-writer/ghostwriter Lynn Barrett-Lee, opens up her childhood trauma of being kidnapped and dumped in a jungle in “The Girl with No Name: The Incredible True Story of a Child Raised by Monkeys”.
Chapman has a harrowing tale which sounds almost too far-fetched to be true: she was kidnapped at age four, dumped in a jungle, lived with monkeys, was kidnapped AGAIN and sold into prostitution, became a street child after running away, lived with a mafia family, and then in a convent. WHEW! In “The Girl with No Name”, Chapman recalls these events albeit with a blotchy memory due to age and obvious psychological trauma. This is a major factor affecting the memoir, as although the story is clearly captivating, many questions are unanswered. Chapman recalls some details with clarity while others are lost. This causes the events to be told with hindsight understanding and for the reader to take everything with a grain of salt.
Frustratingly, Chapman’s focus is on the life with monkeys and her other ordeals versus her psyche and inner feelings. Granted, she was a child and these deeper musings generally blur; but again: it leaves the reader with many questions plus makes some of the story seem unbelievable. More details, explanations, and insight would have certainly strengthened “The Girl with No Name”.
Although the text isn’t written in the best literary style, it is easy-to-read without being too simplified for the general reader as most memoirs tend to be. Not only does this encourage page turning but results in a steady pace with a sort of novel flair.
The authors annoyingly made attempts to portray Chapman as an actual monkey versus a child abandoned and living with monkeys. This was a little silly and an over-attempt to stress the point of Chapman’s ordeal. “The Girl with No Name” also suffers from describing criminal behaviors with no remorse and even with a certain degree of justification and elitism, causing a questioning of Chapman’s story, character, and weakening the memoir slightly. Not to mention, each event reminisced results in reader frustration due to Chapman never having left her endless string of terrible situations. She displayed such survival instincts amongst monkeys in a jungle but stayed in horrible situations afterwards. Then again, being an abused and neglected child myself; I sort of understand this mental battle. An afterward from a psychologist would have been helpful.
“The Girl with No Name” noticeably changes in tone after Chapman is kidnapped this time from the jungle and sold to a brothel. Whether her memory of this period is sharper or the co-author is more in control of the pen; the plot/recollections flow more strongly and the absence of early emotion is now filled. Motives and feelings behind Chapman’s actions are better described which creates a more vivid picture. This picture still seems unbelievable at some points but some people have crazier stories than others to tell.
At this point, there is a perplexing reaction to events in Chapman’s life working out too smoothly i.e. having to run away at specific time of day and being given the opportunity at the last possible moment. Either Chapman is embellishing or things weren’t as dire as she makes them seem (or perhaps her life was just truly remarkable). Chapman also displays the “woe is me” attitude common to memoirs in the sense that many times she found shelter away from the streets (such as a convent) which weren’t good enough for her and she called them a “prison” merely because they involved work and meager meals (better than being homeless, sweetheart!) and then she would proceed to run away. This is aggravating for the reader.
The conclusion of “The Girl with No Name” does not end with Chapman’s current life and instead metaphorically encircles back to the beginning of the memoir. Although this causes initial disappointment (and more unanswered questions); it is then revealed in the after word from the ghostwriter that a sequel memoir is in the works.
“The Girl with No Name” is quite captivating and certainly stands out in the memoir world due to its content, decent writing, and almost novel-like narrative pace. Even though it has flaws, the story will stick with the reader and beg to be repeated. I will certainly await the sequel with anticipation. “The Girl with No Name” is suggested for those seeking a memoir which displays human strength in a rough world.
Chapman has a harrowing tale which sounds almost too far-fetched to be true: she was kidnapped at age four, dumped in a jungle, lived with monkeys, was kidnapped AGAIN and sold into prostitution, became a street child after running away, lived with a mafia family, and then in a convent. WHEW! In “The Girl with No Name”, Chapman recalls these events albeit with a blotchy memory due to age and obvious psychological trauma. This is a major factor affecting the memoir, as although the story is clearly captivating, many questions are unanswered. Chapman recalls some details with clarity while others are lost. This causes the events to be told with hindsight understanding and for the reader to take everything with a grain of salt.
Frustratingly, Chapman’s focus is on the life with monkeys and her other ordeals versus her psyche and inner feelings. Granted, she was a child and these deeper musings generally blur; but again: it leaves the reader with many questions plus makes some of the story seem unbelievable. More details, explanations, and insight would have certainly strengthened “The Girl with No Name”.
Although the text isn’t written in the best literary style, it is easy-to-read without being too simplified for the general reader as most memoirs tend to be. Not only does this encourage page turning but results in a steady pace with a sort of novel flair.
The authors annoyingly made attempts to portray Chapman as an actual monkey versus a child abandoned and living with monkeys. This was a little silly and an over-attempt to stress the point of Chapman’s ordeal. “The Girl with No Name” also suffers from describing criminal behaviors with no remorse and even with a certain degree of justification and elitism, causing a questioning of Chapman’s story, character, and weakening the memoir slightly. Not to mention, each event reminisced results in reader frustration due to Chapman never having left her endless string of terrible situations. She displayed such survival instincts amongst monkeys in a jungle but stayed in horrible situations afterwards. Then again, being an abused and neglected child myself; I sort of understand this mental battle. An afterward from a psychologist would have been helpful.
“The Girl with No Name” noticeably changes in tone after Chapman is kidnapped this time from the jungle and sold to a brothel. Whether her memory of this period is sharper or the co-author is more in control of the pen; the plot/recollections flow more strongly and the absence of early emotion is now filled. Motives and feelings behind Chapman’s actions are better described which creates a more vivid picture. This picture still seems unbelievable at some points but some people have crazier stories than others to tell.
At this point, there is a perplexing reaction to events in Chapman’s life working out too smoothly i.e. having to run away at specific time of day and being given the opportunity at the last possible moment. Either Chapman is embellishing or things weren’t as dire as she makes them seem (or perhaps her life was just truly remarkable). Chapman also displays the “woe is me” attitude common to memoirs in the sense that many times she found shelter away from the streets (such as a convent) which weren’t good enough for her and she called them a “prison” merely because they involved work and meager meals (better than being homeless, sweetheart!) and then she would proceed to run away. This is aggravating for the reader.
The conclusion of “The Girl with No Name” does not end with Chapman’s current life and instead metaphorically encircles back to the beginning of the memoir. Although this causes initial disappointment (and more unanswered questions); it is then revealed in the after word from the ghostwriter that a sequel memoir is in the works.
“The Girl with No Name” is quite captivating and certainly stands out in the memoir world due to its content, decent writing, and almost novel-like narrative pace. Even though it has flaws, the story will stick with the reader and beg to be repeated. I will certainly await the sequel with anticipation. “The Girl with No Name” is suggested for those seeking a memoir which displays human strength in a rough world.
March 25, 2016
This book is a memoir by Marina Chapman. When she was almost five she was kidnapped from her yard in Columbia and left deep in the forest to die. Well she did not die. A group of monkeys eventually allowed her into their family. For five years she went from being a human to behaving like her monkey family. learning how to climb trees and find food and shelter. She walked around on all fours and soon forgot her native language. She was found about five years later. Although these people got her out of the forest it was not a rescue she was traded for a parrot to a bordelo. here she was forced into being a servant for a couple years. it would had been soon before she would be forced to be a prostitute so she ran away and became a street urchin for a year. This led to begging a family to take her in their home in exchange of being a servant. She picked a bad home turns out the family was connected to the mafia.and very dangerous and cruel. a neighbor of the mafia family got her away where she was put in a convent. later on the neighbor helped her leave the city to a even safer place. this book goes for almost five to about 14. Marina was the name the author gave herself at 14 after going with no name or names the several places gave her. This was an interesting book. I was impressed this small child managed to survive in the forest. although the monkeys did not actually raise her, they did allow her in their group. I like reading memoirs and this was a different one.
March 30, 2013
You can't read this book and not feel something for Marina. This essentially begins (after a short preface) with the kidnapping of a young girl who is abandoned and then forced to live on her own in the wilds of Columbia. For years, she goes undiscovered, relying on a group of monkeys to teach her to survive. She therefore learns to live in a rather uncivilised manner and has a very difficult time adapting to life when she is rescues and brought to live among people once more.
I can't imagine that all of the things in this book are reported exactly as they happened, there are a few things that rather contradict themselves, but honestly, by the end, I really didn't care. This book is about an amazingly resilient child that grows up to be remarkable woman. There were certain parts that made me angry, other portions that made me hurt for her and wish I could grasp her hand and tell her everything was going to be alright, I did not get through this book without a range of changing emotions.
While I do not want to discredit the ghostwriting abilities of Lynne Barrett-Lee at all, I did have a difficult time reconciling the voice of a woman that was raised by monkeys and didn't learn to speak until later in life with the at times very formal sounding speech of Ms. Barrett-Lee. This made it difficult for me to fully relate to the memoir.
Overall I thought this was interesting and certainly tells a story that completely true or not, is worth the time to read. If you have not read this book as of yet, may I recommend that you secure a copy for yourself.
This review is based on a digital copy from Open Road Media.
I can't imagine that all of the things in this book are reported exactly as they happened, there are a few things that rather contradict themselves, but honestly, by the end, I really didn't care. This book is about an amazingly resilient child that grows up to be remarkable woman. There were certain parts that made me angry, other portions that made me hurt for her and wish I could grasp her hand and tell her everything was going to be alright, I did not get through this book without a range of changing emotions.
While I do not want to discredit the ghostwriting abilities of Lynne Barrett-Lee at all, I did have a difficult time reconciling the voice of a woman that was raised by monkeys and didn't learn to speak until later in life with the at times very formal sounding speech of Ms. Barrett-Lee. This made it difficult for me to fully relate to the memoir.
Overall I thought this was interesting and certainly tells a story that completely true or not, is worth the time to read. If you have not read this book as of yet, may I recommend that you secure a copy for yourself.
This review is based on a digital copy from Open Road Media.
July 29, 2014
I spotted this book on my sister's bookshelf and thought it looked interesting. My sister had already read it and found it only so so. I, however, was fascinated from the start and was reluctant each time I had to put it down.
Marina's story is fascinating. Kidnapped at a young age from home and then dumped in the jungle she was adopted into a monkey family and spent years growing up amongst them. But this is by no means the limit to the challenges she has to overcome as she grows up. Throughout her young life she is given many different names, but actually she has no memory of what name she was actually given at birth. Eventually she is able to choose her own name, a name which signifies turning a corner in her life and finally finding freedom again.
It is a sad story in so many ways - her painful experiences and the repeated blows she receives, and her reflections on the cruelty of people from those she meets. Yet she does meet some who keep her hope alive and her unquenchable determination and fight are such an encouragement.
Well worth a read.
Marina's story is fascinating. Kidnapped at a young age from home and then dumped in the jungle she was adopted into a monkey family and spent years growing up amongst them. But this is by no means the limit to the challenges she has to overcome as she grows up. Throughout her young life she is given many different names, but actually she has no memory of what name she was actually given at birth. Eventually she is able to choose her own name, a name which signifies turning a corner in her life and finally finding freedom again.
It is a sad story in so many ways - her painful experiences and the repeated blows she receives, and her reflections on the cruelty of people from those she meets. Yet she does meet some who keep her hope alive and her unquenchable determination and fight are such an encouragement.
Well worth a read.
April 16, 2015
An interesting story, but the part that drew me in was her time in the jungle, and that ends all too abruptly. After that, it's just not terribly interesting. Her time with the monkeys definitely molded her, but after a brief rough point, she doesn't seem to have any more trouble fitting in than any other orphan in Colombia at the time. The memoir also ends far too early, when she's only about 14. What about the rest of her teenage years? When and how did she meet her husband, what does she do with her life? No answers. The book should have been either an account of her time with the monkeys, and what effects that had on her reintegration with society, or a simple full life memoir. It's neither, and it shows.
October 16, 2024
През цялото време докато четях, се налагаше да си напомням, че това е истинска история - толкова невероятно ми звучеше всичко. Или по-точно ми се искаше да е измислица. Борех се през цялото време със себе си да приема, че човешки същества могат да бъдат толкова жестоки и то към едно дете. Мислех си, че периода на живота й в джунглата ще е най-тежката част, но при това, което следва си е бил направо песен. Не знам как го е преживяла. Не искам и да разбирам. Цялата история е разказана без много емоции, което беше облекчение за мен, иначе нямаше да го понеса.
June 1, 2015
Okay, Intially I really enjoyed this story. The whole living in the jungle thing got my attention and I appreciated the details that answered the questions I might have. Like how does she go to the bathroom? Bathe? Etc.
Oh well....read this book if you want to be depressed
Oh well....read this book if you want to be depressed
May 10, 2013
Truly an amazing book, that I really did not believe it was true, but it was.
Starts out with Marina being dropped off in the Columbian jungle at about age 4-5 years by 2 men. She has very little memory of her early childhood. In the jungle she begins to search for water, food. She keeps the faith that her mother will come to find her, although that never happens. She meets and lives with the monkeys, eats with them, is protected by them and loves them, as they are her only family. She has no idea how much time is passing by; is finally able to climb to the top of the highest trees with the monkeys; encountered humans, but they shunned her, as she was walking on all fours and could not speak. She was chased back into the jungle. Years later (probably about 10-12 years), she encountered 2 hunters ( one man, one woman), she followed them and the woman ended up taking her out of the jungle. She was happy at this point, not realizing that it was a terrible mistake. She was taken to a brothel in Loma de Bolivar, owned by Ana Karmen. This woman beat her mercilessly and it was unending. At this time, Marina had to start adjusting to life in the world...everything was new, confusing(language, eating, items, work, hygiene, etc.) because her only experience was life with the monkeys. She eventually was allowed to go to the store for shopping, but never ran away because she did not know where to go. A kind woman would speak to her and told her she should run away so that she would not have to prostitute herself. After the car accident where she was the only person spared (2 girls from the brothel and 2 men), she did go back to the brothel for a while, only to finally really run away after a man came to "buy" her services from Ana Karmen.She became a street child in city of Cucuta and lived there for 2-3 years, using the name Pony Malta. She stole, slept under bridges and became friends for the first tiem (altho it was with street children) She eventually tried to get work (after someone suggested she could earn a living and live with a family), by asking people. Unfortunately she ended up living with a mafia type family. They were very cruel to her and beat her. She met a neighbor (Maruja)who helped her escape this family. She went to the convent for years, but ran away from there and was sent to Bogota to live with Maruja's sister. She feels that Maruja was a true angel because she helped Marina, even though she was in danger with the mafia family who Marina lived with. It would be intersting to know how she met her husband and her early adult life. Great book!
Starts out with Marina being dropped off in the Columbian jungle at about age 4-5 years by 2 men. She has very little memory of her early childhood. In the jungle she begins to search for water, food. She keeps the faith that her mother will come to find her, although that never happens. She meets and lives with the monkeys, eats with them, is protected by them and loves them, as they are her only family. She has no idea how much time is passing by; is finally able to climb to the top of the highest trees with the monkeys; encountered humans, but they shunned her, as she was walking on all fours and could not speak. She was chased back into the jungle. Years later (probably about 10-12 years), she encountered 2 hunters ( one man, one woman), she followed them and the woman ended up taking her out of the jungle. She was happy at this point, not realizing that it was a terrible mistake. She was taken to a brothel in Loma de Bolivar, owned by Ana Karmen. This woman beat her mercilessly and it was unending. At this time, Marina had to start adjusting to life in the world...everything was new, confusing(language, eating, items, work, hygiene, etc.) because her only experience was life with the monkeys. She eventually was allowed to go to the store for shopping, but never ran away because she did not know where to go. A kind woman would speak to her and told her she should run away so that she would not have to prostitute herself. After the car accident where she was the only person spared (2 girls from the brothel and 2 men), she did go back to the brothel for a while, only to finally really run away after a man came to "buy" her services from Ana Karmen.She became a street child in city of Cucuta and lived there for 2-3 years, using the name Pony Malta. She stole, slept under bridges and became friends for the first tiem (altho it was with street children) She eventually tried to get work (after someone suggested she could earn a living and live with a family), by asking people. Unfortunately she ended up living with a mafia type family. They were very cruel to her and beat her. She met a neighbor (Maruja)who helped her escape this family. She went to the convent for years, but ran away from there and was sent to Bogota to live with Maruja's sister. She feels that Maruja was a true angel because she helped Marina, even though she was in danger with the mafia family who Marina lived with. It would be intersting to know how she met her husband and her early adult life. Great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2020
Very easy to read. The story follows the fascinating journey of Marina as she finds herself and discovers how to navigate new worlds.
I'm not entirely sure I believe that everything that happened in the story is true (because some things just seemed a bit too fantastical), but regardless, it was a great read and a very poignant story.
I'm not entirely sure I believe that everything that happened in the story is true (because some things just seemed a bit too fantastical), but regardless, it was a great read and a very poignant story.
February 19, 2017
This is an absolutely incredible true story of a young girl who faced extreme hardships and eventually found her forever home. Before her fifth birthday she was stolen from her parental home. Her kidnappers abandoned her in the Columbian jungle where she lived with a troupe of monkeys for another five years. She has fond memories of her time in the jungle and for years afterwards she missed her "family".
However despite becoming very much of an animal herself, the girl realized she was a human and needed to return to her kind. She soon learned that humans were much more dangerous and cunning then her animal friends. One day some hunters came into the forest and the girl chose to go with them.
The hunters sold her as a slave to a woman who was running a brothel. While at the brothel the girl was named "Gloria". Eventually she escaped and ended up living as a street kid for several years where she was called "Pony Malta" after a type of drink. The time came when she was tired of the street life and someone suggested to her that she go knocking on doors asking if someone would allow her to work for them in exchange for food. It eventually worked but unfortunately the family that took her in was involved with the Mafia and treated her badly. Here she was called "Rosalba." A neighbor lady befriended the girl and when life became to dangerous for her, Maruja helped her escape and brought her to a convent. For once she was safe but she was extremely bored and constantly caused mischief.
The girl found a way to escape and returned to Maruja, the first human that ever showed her compassion. However because of the Mafia it was to dangerous for the girl to stay with her. Maruja arranged for the girl to join her daughter's family. It was there that she found her forever home. She finally was able to have a name of her own and called herself Marina. I was absolutely astounded by the adventures this girl went through.
However despite becoming very much of an animal herself, the girl realized she was a human and needed to return to her kind. She soon learned that humans were much more dangerous and cunning then her animal friends. One day some hunters came into the forest and the girl chose to go with them.
The hunters sold her as a slave to a woman who was running a brothel. While at the brothel the girl was named "Gloria". Eventually she escaped and ended up living as a street kid for several years where she was called "Pony Malta" after a type of drink. The time came when she was tired of the street life and someone suggested to her that she go knocking on doors asking if someone would allow her to work for them in exchange for food. It eventually worked but unfortunately the family that took her in was involved with the Mafia and treated her badly. Here she was called "Rosalba." A neighbor lady befriended the girl and when life became to dangerous for her, Maruja helped her escape and brought her to a convent. For once she was safe but she was extremely bored and constantly caused mischief.
The girl found a way to escape and returned to Maruja, the first human that ever showed her compassion. However because of the Mafia it was to dangerous for the girl to stay with her. Maruja arranged for the girl to join her daughter's family. It was there that she found her forever home. She finally was able to have a name of her own and called herself Marina. I was absolutely astounded by the adventures this girl went through.
August 27, 2013
The nigh unbelievable memoir of a girl who escaped captivity in the Colombian rain forest as a five year old and spent the next few years of her life trying to mimic monkeys in an attempt to learn survival skills. She makes it very clear that these are wild animals, but she also makes it very clear that they helped her, welcomed her, and treated her as a strange member of their troop.
Maybe it says something about me that I find the later parts of the story where she is a thieving street kid more believable, but I do wish there was any kind of external corroboration for any of this. I see that that is impossible, of course, time, distance, and self interest making Luz Marina the only person who can tell any part of her story. And it is a fantastic story. It reads like the best sort of novel. Marina goes from being carried from one circumstance to another to determining her own destiny.
You can't help but like her, and everyone likes a good story. I do recommend the book. It's a fun read.
Maybe it says something about me that I find the later parts of the story where she is a thieving street kid more believable, but I do wish there was any kind of external corroboration for any of this. I see that that is impossible, of course, time, distance, and self interest making Luz Marina the only person who can tell any part of her story. And it is a fantastic story. It reads like the best sort of novel. Marina goes from being carried from one circumstance to another to determining her own destiny.
You can't help but like her, and everyone likes a good story. I do recommend the book. It's a fun read.
September 13, 2018
This could be a fairy tale! It could also present reality.
Whatever you think, Marina Chapman led an extraordinary life in the wilds, and her account of it is captivating. Credit writer, Lynne Barrett-Lee, for giving voice to the mind of a child without seeming overly child-like—and if some of the details don’t ring true, why does it really have to matter?
Now that I’ve read Life of Pi, I notice certain parallels and wonder whether the psychology driving both the narratives isn’t fundamentally the same.
Capuchin monkeys as family? Why not?
I’d recommend this for any reader who adores a touch of fantasy—or a truly unique survival tale by a truly inspiring, plucky girl!
Reviewed September 10, 2018
Whatever you think, Marina Chapman led an extraordinary life in the wilds, and her account of it is captivating. Credit writer, Lynne Barrett-Lee, for giving voice to the mind of a child without seeming overly child-like—and if some of the details don’t ring true, why does it really have to matter?
Now that I’ve read Life of Pi, I notice certain parallels and wonder whether the psychology driving both the narratives isn’t fundamentally the same.
Capuchin monkeys as family? Why not?
I’d recommend this for any reader who adores a touch of fantasy—or a truly unique survival tale by a truly inspiring, plucky girl!
Reviewed September 10, 2018
May 9, 2023
In 1954 a young girl between 4-5 living in Columbia, South America was abducted from the edge of her parents property by two men that took her to a jungle and left her there with nothing to eat or drink.
She observed Capuchin monkeys high in the tree branches, she mimicked them. They became her family, she felt a caring nature from them, even saving her life.
There were a variety of fruits that she ate and she found water cupped in the leaves of the plants.
She became very strong in the five years she was with the monkeys.
She followed hunters out of the jungle, since one was a woman.
Becoming a street child she had no sense of being human.
After she was saved by a loving family, she choose her new name, Marina
She observed Capuchin monkeys high in the tree branches, she mimicked them. They became her family, she felt a caring nature from them, even saving her life.
There were a variety of fruits that she ate and she found water cupped in the leaves of the plants.
She became very strong in the five years she was with the monkeys.
She followed hunters out of the jungle, since one was a woman.
Becoming a street child she had no sense of being human.
After she was saved by a loving family, she choose her new name, Marina
May 24, 2016
I can't get through this. I know enough about psychology and human development to find it impossible to believe that girl who spent four or five years in the jungle, completely lost human language, and mimicked monkeys to survive could ever re-adjust, become fluent in not only her native language but English as well, and become an upstanding member of society. People just don't develop like that. I didn't even get to the part where she's in the city, which is a pity, because I think that might have been more interesting...but I can't suspend my disbelief to continue any longer.
Read
July 22, 2014Loved it, wish it had been longer....
January 25, 2018
“This book is about a girl who was raised by monkeys,” a friend said recently. She had the book in hand, and I was interested. Thinking The Jungle Book. She lent me her copy and I read it in a couple of days.
The Girl with No Name is the fascinating account of the life of Marina Chapman, kidnapped from her home in Colombia in the early 1950s at the age of almost-five, and growing up in two of the country’s most frightening jungles: the rainforest and the city.
This is, according to an afterward by the ghostwriter, Lynne Barrett-Lee, the first of two novels, as Marina’s life is filled with more fascinating detail than can be told easily in one volume. I haven’t been able to find the second installment, but there is apparently a documentary about Marina on the National Geographic channel, so I’ll take a look there.
According to the story, Marina was picked up and drugged by kidnappers, then dropped off in the jungle as they ran for their lives, and subsequently cared for by capuchin monkeys for about five years. Marina’s memories of her monkey family are detailed and sweet. I think the specific word picture that sticks with me most, clean-freak that I am, is how she remembers being groomed by the capuchins and all the bugs and insects they found in her hair and ears. I shudder. But, if her story is true, and I tend to believe it is, she displays an amazing ability to adapt and survive.
As difficult as Marina’s rainforest survival was, the memories are sweet compared to the abuse she suffered at the hands of well-meaning or outright evil people in the city.
This book is penned by a ghostwriter, since Marina’s language skills were somewhat dulled by the years she didn’t speak. I found the story flowed with lovely descriptive phrases and color that delighted me and suited the character. I read mostly fiction, so this was a departure from my normal reading patterns, but I enjoyed it. Thanks, Kathy W. for lending it to me.
To delve more deeply into Marina’s story, check out these sites:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn51J...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXQ38...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKS6...
It’s up to you whether you believe it or not, but either way, the story is a captivating.
The Girl with No Name is the fascinating account of the life of Marina Chapman, kidnapped from her home in Colombia in the early 1950s at the age of almost-five, and growing up in two of the country’s most frightening jungles: the rainforest and the city.
This is, according to an afterward by the ghostwriter, Lynne Barrett-Lee, the first of two novels, as Marina’s life is filled with more fascinating detail than can be told easily in one volume. I haven’t been able to find the second installment, but there is apparently a documentary about Marina on the National Geographic channel, so I’ll take a look there.
According to the story, Marina was picked up and drugged by kidnappers, then dropped off in the jungle as they ran for their lives, and subsequently cared for by capuchin monkeys for about five years. Marina’s memories of her monkey family are detailed and sweet. I think the specific word picture that sticks with me most, clean-freak that I am, is how she remembers being groomed by the capuchins and all the bugs and insects they found in her hair and ears. I shudder. But, if her story is true, and I tend to believe it is, she displays an amazing ability to adapt and survive.
As difficult as Marina’s rainforest survival was, the memories are sweet compared to the abuse she suffered at the hands of well-meaning or outright evil people in the city.
This book is penned by a ghostwriter, since Marina’s language skills were somewhat dulled by the years she didn’t speak. I found the story flowed with lovely descriptive phrases and color that delighted me and suited the character. I read mostly fiction, so this was a departure from my normal reading patterns, but I enjoyed it. Thanks, Kathy W. for lending it to me.
To delve more deeply into Marina’s story, check out these sites:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn51J...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXQ38...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boKS6...
It’s up to you whether you believe it or not, but either way, the story is a captivating.
January 2, 2021
4.5*
Érdekes, olvasmányos, hihetetlen… főleg ha arra gondolok, hogy én kb. az első órában meghaltam volna. Hiába voltak a civilizációs részek cselekményesebbek, az őserdőben töltött évekről szóló leírás sokkal jobban tetszett. A vége kicsit kurta-furcsa lett. Szívesen olvastam volna a bradfordi életről, a házasságáról, a gyerekekről. Talán egy következő könyvben. :)
Érdekes, olvasmányos, hihetetlen… főleg ha arra gondolok, hogy én kb. az első órában meghaltam volna. Hiába voltak a civilizációs részek cselekményesebbek, az őserdőben töltött évekről szóló leírás sokkal jobban tetszett. A vége kicsit kurta-furcsa lett. Szívesen olvastam volna a bradfordi életről, a házasságáról, a gyerekekről. Talán egy következő könyvben. :)
April 2, 2025
Heel erg onder de indruk van dit boek.
Kwam ooit een interview tegen met Marina chapman en wilde toen al zo graag haar boek lezen. En nu eindelijk gedaan!
Als 2/3 jarig meisje werd Marina ontvoerd, maar ipv in de mensenhandel belandde ze ‘per ongeluk’ diep in het regenwoud van Colombia. Een kolonie capucijnapen nam haar op in hun groep. Zo’n bijzonder verhaal en mooi geschreven.
Kwam ooit een interview tegen met Marina chapman en wilde toen al zo graag haar boek lezen. En nu eindelijk gedaan!
Als 2/3 jarig meisje werd Marina ontvoerd, maar ipv in de mensenhandel belandde ze ‘per ongeluk’ diep in het regenwoud van Colombia. Een kolonie capucijnapen nam haar op in hun groep. Zo’n bijzonder verhaal en mooi geschreven.
August 30, 2023
Marina Chapman's story had me riveted from start to finish. I loved reading about the monkeys in her tribe, their adventures in the canopy together, and just her gutsy spirit. She's quite a survivor. I hope her story inspires more people to alleviate the conditions of street children in South America. All that was missing for me was the story of how she got married and became a mom and grandma.
March 25, 2017
Ein Leben, das für drei reicht: erschütternd, unfassbar, herzergreifend.
Kurz vor ihrem fünften Geburtstag wird Marina aus ihrem Dorf in Kolumbien entführt und im Dschungel ausgesetzt. Ein kleines Mädchen ist eigentlich chancenlos in der Wildnis. Völlig verängstigt trifft sie auf ihre Retter: Kapuzineraffen, die sie in ihren Clan aufnehmen und von denen sie schließlich alles lernt, was sie im Dschungel braucht. Nach etwa fünf Jahren wird sie von Wilderern entdeckt und an ein Bordell verkauft. Es gelingt ihr, den schrecklichen Verhältnissen dort zu entfliehen, und nach einer langen Odyssee findet sie schließlich Freunde, die ihr ein normales Leben in der Menschenwelt ermöglichen. Heute ist sie mit ihrer Familie in England zu Hause.
Die ersten 100 Seiten der Biographie, also primär die Beschreibung der Zeit im Dschungel, fand ich wirklich spannend und interessant. Leider konnte mich das Buch zum Ende hin immer weniger fesseln. Grundsätzlich sei hier keine große Literatur zu erwarten, sondern eine ungewöhnliche und tragische Lebensgeschichte, eine Odyssee von einem Lebensweg, interessant zwar, aber nicht immer interessant zu lesen.
Kurz vor ihrem fünften Geburtstag wird Marina aus ihrem Dorf in Kolumbien entführt und im Dschungel ausgesetzt. Ein kleines Mädchen ist eigentlich chancenlos in der Wildnis. Völlig verängstigt trifft sie auf ihre Retter: Kapuzineraffen, die sie in ihren Clan aufnehmen und von denen sie schließlich alles lernt, was sie im Dschungel braucht. Nach etwa fünf Jahren wird sie von Wilderern entdeckt und an ein Bordell verkauft. Es gelingt ihr, den schrecklichen Verhältnissen dort zu entfliehen, und nach einer langen Odyssee findet sie schließlich Freunde, die ihr ein normales Leben in der Menschenwelt ermöglichen. Heute ist sie mit ihrer Familie in England zu Hause.
Die ersten 100 Seiten der Biographie, also primär die Beschreibung der Zeit im Dschungel, fand ich wirklich spannend und interessant. Leider konnte mich das Buch zum Ende hin immer weniger fesseln. Grundsätzlich sei hier keine große Literatur zu erwarten, sondern eine ungewöhnliche und tragische Lebensgeschichte, eine Odyssee von einem Lebensweg, interessant zwar, aber nicht immer interessant zu lesen.
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