What do you think?
Rate this book
The Volcano, Montserrat and Me: Twenty years with an active volcano
'As time moves on and memories fade this unique, compelling book will serve as an important and accurate first-hand record of traumatic events, faithfully and sensitively recounted by Lally Brown.'
Professor Willy Aspinall CMG, Cabot Professor in Natural Hazards and Risk Science, University of Bristol. An enchanting slice of paradise is how the travel brochures described the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 1995. A relaxed retreat where millionaires rubbed shoulders with locals and pop legends like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sting, Phil Collins and Elton John came to record their albums at Air Studios.
Then on the morning of 18th July 1995 everything changed. After 350 years of dormancy the volcano in the hills above the capital Plymouth stirred awake. On that first day a sulphurous smell filled the air, ashy steam was vented high into the sky and a roaring sound was heard. The residents of Montserrat were frightened. The authorities were caught completely unprepared. As volcanic activity steadily increased half the population left the island and the remainder fled in terror to the safe north. This is a personal diary of the first three years of the eruption 1995 to 1998 and concludes with a detailed summary of activity during the years 1999 to 2015.
The book is a powerful and graphic description of the realities of living with an unpredictable and extremely dangerous volcano, with the added hazard of several hurricanes.
There is tension, tragedy, stress and fear but there is also much laughter and love.
Professor Willy Aspinall CMG, Cabot Professor in Natural Hazards and Risk Science, University of Bristol. An enchanting slice of paradise is how the travel brochures described the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 1995. A relaxed retreat where millionaires rubbed shoulders with locals and pop legends like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Sting, Phil Collins and Elton John came to record their albums at Air Studios.
Then on the morning of 18th July 1995 everything changed. After 350 years of dormancy the volcano in the hills above the capital Plymouth stirred awake. On that first day a sulphurous smell filled the air, ashy steam was vented high into the sky and a roaring sound was heard. The residents of Montserrat were frightened. The authorities were caught completely unprepared. As volcanic activity steadily increased half the population left the island and the remainder fled in terror to the safe north. This is a personal diary of the first three years of the eruption 1995 to 1998 and concludes with a detailed summary of activity during the years 1999 to 2015.
The book is a powerful and graphic description of the realities of living with an unpredictable and extremely dangerous volcano, with the added hazard of several hurricanes.
There is tension, tragedy, stress and fear but there is also much laughter and love.
- GenresTravelNonfictionMemoir
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Lally Brown
8 books13 followersBorn in Yorkshire in the UK I migrated south to Surrey for my education and teenage years. Embracing the Swinging Sixties with naïve enthusiasm I left College and trekked overland to Israel. Working on a small kibbutz, I earned my keep driving a tractor and picking oranges, and managed to hitch-hike around the country visiting Haifa, Jerusalem and Acre. This amazing (and occasionally dangerous experience - I was abducted on one occasion and rescued by Israeli police!) was the spark that ignited my lifelong love of adventure and travel.
Later, a small village in West Sussex became the family ‘base camp’ for thirty years as my Engineer husband took us around the globe on British Government contracts. I have lost count of the number of homes I have had over the years, but my most memorable are those on St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.
Now, in our twilight years, we are dry-docked on the Isle of Wight surrounded by a loving family and four lively grandsons and I have the time, and inclination, to launch a series of books about my adventurous life. They prove that truth can indeed be far stranger than fiction. Erupting volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, evacuations, abduction, drug smugglers, people smugglers, armed robbery, hangings, stowaways, bribery, corruption, political intrigues, riots, and much more.
Later, a small village in West Sussex became the family ‘base camp’ for thirty years as my Engineer husband took us around the globe on British Government contracts. I have lost count of the number of homes I have had over the years, but my most memorable are those on St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.
Now, in our twilight years, we are dry-docked on the Isle of Wight surrounded by a loving family and four lively grandsons and I have the time, and inclination, to launch a series of books about my adventurous life. They prove that truth can indeed be far stranger than fiction. Erupting volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, evacuations, abduction, drug smugglers, people smugglers, armed robbery, hangings, stowaways, bribery, corruption, political intrigues, riots, and much more.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 18, 2021
The best part of the book is the description of the events leading up to, during, and immediately after the deadly June 1997 eruption which killed 19 people. The author describes how the community came together, with help from the British, to rescue trapped people, evacuate the sick and elderly, and and try to rebuild lives for the thousands displaced by the volcano.
February 3, 2020
When Lally Brown’s husband was posted to Montserrat in 1995 they could be forgiven for thinking it was going to be a little slice of Caribbean heaven. However, when the dormant volcano in the Soufriere Hills began erupting, they found themselves in a nightmarish situation. I must say that Lally and her husband showed an incredible dedication to duty in quite intolerable circumstances. In fact, it was frequently quite terrifying. The once beautiful island was transformed, whole areas and villages buried under ash and lava.
Her descriptions of the evacuations, the loss of life and the constant menace of the active volcano are breath taking! I did hold my breath at some points. The resilience shown by them and the islanders who remained is astonishing. At times the fear is palpable. I cannot even begin to imagine living in a state of high alert and yet they tried as far as possible to carry on with their lives as best they could. I would have been 0n the first plane home.
It's an incredible tale and describes a situation that very few of us would experience. It’s a well written memoir that kept my interest right to the end. It’s informative and exciting, heart-breaking and funny at times. Highly recommended.
Her descriptions of the evacuations, the loss of life and the constant menace of the active volcano are breath taking! I did hold my breath at some points. The resilience shown by them and the islanders who remained is astonishing. At times the fear is palpable. I cannot even begin to imagine living in a state of high alert and yet they tried as far as possible to carry on with their lives as best they could. I would have been 0n the first plane home.
It's an incredible tale and describes a situation that very few of us would experience. It’s a well written memoir that kept my interest right to the end. It’s informative and exciting, heart-breaking and funny at times. Highly recommended.
December 5, 2019
This book had been recommended to me as a must-read. I had no idea what to expect. What great advice it turned out to be.
As the wife of a British government official, Lally Brown recounts their experiences living on Monserrat from 1995. The expatriate lifestyle is familiar for them and begins in a typical way. But that soon alters as a previously dormant volcano grumbles into life. For them, the events that follow are life-changing.
The book, written with a journalistic style, captivated me for several reasons. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the geological transformations as the volcano morphs into a deadly monster. I felt the dreadful suspense experienced by islanders as they play a waiting game with Nature. It’s unpredictable, it’s menacing, it’s gripping.
I was astonished by the bravery shown by Lally Brown and her family, along with so many others. The havoc of evacuations, losses, food shortages, devastation. It’s nitty-gritty stuff. But there’s also lots of humour in this book, brilliantly placed and told with bags of inimitable British stiff upper lip.
I found this an incredibly compelling read. I love the author’s writing style and will definitely be reading more or her work.
As the wife of a British government official, Lally Brown recounts their experiences living on Monserrat from 1995. The expatriate lifestyle is familiar for them and begins in a typical way. But that soon alters as a previously dormant volcano grumbles into life. For them, the events that follow are life-changing.
The book, written with a journalistic style, captivated me for several reasons. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the geological transformations as the volcano morphs into a deadly monster. I felt the dreadful suspense experienced by islanders as they play a waiting game with Nature. It’s unpredictable, it’s menacing, it’s gripping.
I was astonished by the bravery shown by Lally Brown and her family, along with so many others. The havoc of evacuations, losses, food shortages, devastation. It’s nitty-gritty stuff. But there’s also lots of humour in this book, brilliantly placed and told with bags of inimitable British stiff upper lip.
I found this an incredibly compelling read. I love the author’s writing style and will definitely be reading more or her work.
March 16, 2020
A very moving and compelling memoir.
When Lally and her husband moved to the island of Montserrat, they had no idea of what was in store for them.
On most days they are faced with the prospect an unpredictable volcano gushing hot ash and lava over the island. The cleaning is endless, and their home is visited by some very unusual creatures.
They are forced to move several times as the boundaries of the unsafe zones are changed without much prior warning.
An incredibly moving memoir which left me agape on several occasions.
When Lally and her husband moved to the island of Montserrat, they had no idea of what was in store for them.
On most days they are faced with the prospect an unpredictable volcano gushing hot ash and lava over the island. The cleaning is endless, and their home is visited by some very unusual creatures.
They are forced to move several times as the boundaries of the unsafe zones are changed without much prior warning.
An incredibly moving memoir which left me agape on several occasions.
Read
October 26, 2019I finished reading this book a couple of days ago, and it’s taken me a bit of time to come down after the experience. What on earth can I say about this remarkable woman, Lally Brown, other than that I’m completely awestruck. Lally and her husband courageously lived for three years under the threat of the very active and angry Volcano in the Soufrières Hills in Montserrat. Her husband was appointed to work for a government organisation there in 1995 and within days of their arrival on this beautiful island, the volcano decided to wake up and cause years of maximum stress to all concerned.
This book is a remarkable account of the day-to-day lives of living with the growling, fluctuating and spitting beast that was Montserrat’s volcano. I felt as if I was living through the whole three years with Lally and her neighbours and I honestly don’t know how she and the islanders remained sane. Not only was there the constant reshuffling of homes from areas that increasingly fell into the danger zones, but there were also the health threats prompted by the fallout from the volcano’s ‘burps’. Added to that were the tension, fear and very real danger. Tragedy struck when it was least expected and the islanders were shaken into leaving in their droves, but Lally and her husband stayed on, right up until 1998.
What I loved about the book was all the vignettes of the local characters. Lally Brown is clearly a very kind person and she gained the affection and loyalty of many of the islanders and she describes them with real love in her pen. I also loved the snippets of local speech and the descriptions of the events and customs that coloured the people’s lives, including the somewhat colonial style of the administration.
The narrative changes frequently from past to present and back again, which I found effective as a means of drawing me in and then making me stand back to view the bigger picture. It’s a fascinating and absorbing story, but it was also quite an emotional rollercoaster. For lovers of memoir, volcanos and history, I would recommend this highly, and I’ll look forward to reading Lally Brown’s other memoir before too long.
This book is a remarkable account of the day-to-day lives of living with the growling, fluctuating and spitting beast that was Montserrat’s volcano. I felt as if I was living through the whole three years with Lally and her neighbours and I honestly don’t know how she and the islanders remained sane. Not only was there the constant reshuffling of homes from areas that increasingly fell into the danger zones, but there were also the health threats prompted by the fallout from the volcano’s ‘burps’. Added to that were the tension, fear and very real danger. Tragedy struck when it was least expected and the islanders were shaken into leaving in their droves, but Lally and her husband stayed on, right up until 1998.
What I loved about the book was all the vignettes of the local characters. Lally Brown is clearly a very kind person and she gained the affection and loyalty of many of the islanders and she describes them with real love in her pen. I also loved the snippets of local speech and the descriptions of the events and customs that coloured the people’s lives, including the somewhat colonial style of the administration.
The narrative changes frequently from past to present and back again, which I found effective as a means of drawing me in and then making me stand back to view the bigger picture. It’s a fascinating and absorbing story, but it was also quite an emotional rollercoaster. For lovers of memoir, volcanos and history, I would recommend this highly, and I’ll look forward to reading Lally Brown’s other memoir before too long.
May 30, 2020
Grit, determination, and courage through extraordinarily tough times
Having enjoyed Lally Brown’s memoir, ‘High and Dry in the BVI’, I downloaded this next book about her time in Montserrat.
The author’s life had moved on twenty years and her husband’s new contract took them to another island paradise in the Caribbean.
At the time of their arrival in early 1995, the islanders had just finished rebuilding after being devastated by Hurricane Hugo six years earlier. Little did any of them know what lay in store for them.
Soon after the couple arrived, everything changed without warning. After 350 years of dormancy, the volcano in the Soufriere Hills above the capital of Plymouth became active.
Lally Brown tells the story of the ensuing three years through her journal entries. They capture the immediacy and horror of the situation that everyone on the island had to endure.
I found this memoir difficult to put down. The author’s fluid writing style, laced with wry humour, made me feel I was living in the moment with her.
Terry Waite, CBE, summed it up when he described the book as, ‘a moving and detailed story of a courageous people with insights only an eyewitness can give'.
This memoir is a must-read. It is a story of grit, determination, and courage through extraordinarily tough times.
Having enjoyed Lally Brown’s memoir, ‘High and Dry in the BVI’, I downloaded this next book about her time in Montserrat.
The author’s life had moved on twenty years and her husband’s new contract took them to another island paradise in the Caribbean.
At the time of their arrival in early 1995, the islanders had just finished rebuilding after being devastated by Hurricane Hugo six years earlier. Little did any of them know what lay in store for them.
Soon after the couple arrived, everything changed without warning. After 350 years of dormancy, the volcano in the Soufriere Hills above the capital of Plymouth became active.
Lally Brown tells the story of the ensuing three years through her journal entries. They capture the immediacy and horror of the situation that everyone on the island had to endure.
I found this memoir difficult to put down. The author’s fluid writing style, laced with wry humour, made me feel I was living in the moment with her.
Terry Waite, CBE, summed it up when he described the book as, ‘a moving and detailed story of a courageous people with insights only an eyewitness can give'.
This memoir is a must-read. It is a story of grit, determination, and courage through extraordinarily tough times.
July 2, 2021
Perhaps it was Lally Brown’s mission to be on the island of Montserrat in 1995 to record the volcano’s explosion. This is another one of her memoirs about her life as a British expatriate while accompanying her engineer husband on a Caribbean stint. Their children are now grown and live in the UK, and we see her still actively contributing to the lives of the locals as in her other books.
The Montserrat volcano has been dormant for over 350 years, but it blew its top shortly after Author Lally Brown arrived on the island. The angry volcano acts like a temperamental parent at the helm of the household who deeply affects all around her. The locals believe that she is upset because one of the prince’s bones have been removed from the island and taken to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Whether folklore or scientific causes are the reason for her incessant rage from 1995 to 1998, all who live on the island are impacted daily. Several of the islanders flee to other places, some die and those left behind relocate over and over in search of safety zones. Sometimes, the rain washed the ashins’ away and then shortly thereafter, there would be another torrential downpour of ash, rock or whatever came from the volcano.
Lally Brown’s clear, descriptive writing reveal what it was like to live during the frequent ashins’ and flowing lava on a regular basis. She pointed out that nature was still creating and destroying at the same time. She lost those close to her, saw unimaginable flesh burns but also, witnessed new rivers in unfamiliar places as she adjusted the aperture of her lens to view Mother Nature’s bigger plan.
Before she and her husband leave the island at the end of his assignment, they often think that the volcano had gone back to sleep. But at any given time, the central giant would roar awake and remind them who was boss and sporadically continues to do so. Montserrat now has eight new sirens placed throughout the island but when they sound off, all know that it is time to go!
The Montserrat volcano has been dormant for over 350 years, but it blew its top shortly after Author Lally Brown arrived on the island. The angry volcano acts like a temperamental parent at the helm of the household who deeply affects all around her. The locals believe that she is upset because one of the prince’s bones have been removed from the island and taken to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Whether folklore or scientific causes are the reason for her incessant rage from 1995 to 1998, all who live on the island are impacted daily. Several of the islanders flee to other places, some die and those left behind relocate over and over in search of safety zones. Sometimes, the rain washed the ashins’ away and then shortly thereafter, there would be another torrential downpour of ash, rock or whatever came from the volcano.
Lally Brown’s clear, descriptive writing reveal what it was like to live during the frequent ashins’ and flowing lava on a regular basis. She pointed out that nature was still creating and destroying at the same time. She lost those close to her, saw unimaginable flesh burns but also, witnessed new rivers in unfamiliar places as she adjusted the aperture of her lens to view Mother Nature’s bigger plan.
Before she and her husband leave the island at the end of his assignment, they often think that the volcano had gone back to sleep. But at any given time, the central giant would roar awake and remind them who was boss and sporadically continues to do so. Montserrat now has eight new sirens placed throughout the island but when they sound off, all know that it is time to go!
November 8, 2020
Moving and Touching Memoir
In 1995 Lally and her Son followed her Husband to Montserrat where he had been posted as a British Government Official.
Written in a very journalist style Lally describes how their lives went from normal ex-pat familiar way of life to a life changing way of life. The volcano on Soufriere Hills had laid dormant for years and it suddenly started to cause problems for all of Montserrat. Suffering evacuations, food shortages, loss of lives, devastation and constant ash fall outs from the volcano, life was just one big waiting game for everyone.
The constant ash falls transformed the Island and villages were buried in lava and ash. I was sad that the lady who sold fruit and veg from her box was killed after one such eruption. I loved Lally´s description of some of the characters she was in contact with.
This was compelling reading and you have to admire Lally and her family for their stoicism and sheer determination to carry on with their lives and dedication to their Island duties.
Thank you Lally x
In 1995 Lally and her Son followed her Husband to Montserrat where he had been posted as a British Government Official.
Written in a very journalist style Lally describes how their lives went from normal ex-pat familiar way of life to a life changing way of life. The volcano on Soufriere Hills had laid dormant for years and it suddenly started to cause problems for all of Montserrat. Suffering evacuations, food shortages, loss of lives, devastation and constant ash fall outs from the volcano, life was just one big waiting game for everyone.
The constant ash falls transformed the Island and villages were buried in lava and ash. I was sad that the lady who sold fruit and veg from her box was killed after one such eruption. I loved Lally´s description of some of the characters she was in contact with.
This was compelling reading and you have to admire Lally and her family for their stoicism and sheer determination to carry on with their lives and dedication to their Island duties.
Thank you Lally x
July 23, 2023
A VERY BRAVE RESILIENT LADY
Lally proves that life in the Caribbean is not always “Paradise” even without the extraordinary fear of living with a very temperamental active Volcano on a tiny island.
The beginning of this book is full of volcanic information and names which left my simple mind a little bewildered. However, as the months went by I was grateful for my lessons in volcano activity along with the geography of Montserrat as you need this background to really appreciate the full extent of what went on on the island and the horror these people lived through.
Lally brought to life, or death, the full extent of the devastation I witnessed in 2008, when I visited Montserrat. I found myself Googling maps to fully appreciate the full magnitude of the eruptions, as exploration had been very restricted then.
I also, especially enjoyed hearing Lally’s charming stories about Expat Island life, as this is a part of the Caribbean I wasn’t exposed to, as a sailor there.
An informative and absorbing read, which I highly recommend.
Lally proves that life in the Caribbean is not always “Paradise” even without the extraordinary fear of living with a very temperamental active Volcano on a tiny island.
The beginning of this book is full of volcanic information and names which left my simple mind a little bewildered. However, as the months went by I was grateful for my lessons in volcano activity along with the geography of Montserrat as you need this background to really appreciate the full extent of what went on on the island and the horror these people lived through.
Lally brought to life, or death, the full extent of the devastation I witnessed in 2008, when I visited Montserrat. I found myself Googling maps to fully appreciate the full magnitude of the eruptions, as exploration had been very restricted then.
I also, especially enjoyed hearing Lally’s charming stories about Expat Island life, as this is a part of the Caribbean I wasn’t exposed to, as a sailor there.
An informative and absorbing read, which I highly recommend.
November 24, 2020
I'm so glad I read this book. Too many times we see the televised, sudden, dramatic versions of volcanic eruptions; a single massive explosion followed by a short clear up operation and then life returning to normal. This book demonstrates first hand what life is like living under the constant threat of destruction, years of waiting on edge for the big one, or not, being evacuated several times, rain of small rocks smashing into your roofs, your garden being destroyed by ash, and then as you attempt to revive it, the same happening again. The book really gets into the human side of the volcanic threat, and the difference between how the British Expats are able to cope versus the often poorer locals, suffering the incompetence and ill-informed comments of politicians at whose mercy their lives depend.
August 29, 2016
A good book on what it is like to live on an island with an active volcano.
May 16, 2024
Tragedy and Triumph.
From the start I was hooked with this memoir as Lally and her husband take up post on the island just as the volcano decides to wake up. What follows is an engaging and fascinating account of life on Montserrat and a detailed record of the volcano's activity. I was completely amazed to read about how life unfolded, especially as the tension increased with each passing chapter. Lally writes so beautifully about the island and the wonderful people there: the reader is alongside her meeting them, getting to know them - their character and quirks - and experiencing the sheer terror living with the constant threat of danger, as well as the constant mess that the volcano makes on many of the properties....though it's not just the volcano that poses mortal danger, there's another shocking event where Lally and her husband face a life-threatening situation.
Despite the tragedy and the heartbreaking situations and terrible loss of life, Lally writes with warmth and at times humour, and the book ends with hope for the future and regeneration and recovery progress and the resilience of the people triumph over adversity.
The book provoked me to look up actual footage of the eruption (of which there are many, as well as several programmes also) and it's been an education to learn more about this volcanic event.
This is an important and thoughtful book, with well documented historical details.
From the start I was hooked with this memoir as Lally and her husband take up post on the island just as the volcano decides to wake up. What follows is an engaging and fascinating account of life on Montserrat and a detailed record of the volcano's activity. I was completely amazed to read about how life unfolded, especially as the tension increased with each passing chapter. Lally writes so beautifully about the island and the wonderful people there: the reader is alongside her meeting them, getting to know them - their character and quirks - and experiencing the sheer terror living with the constant threat of danger, as well as the constant mess that the volcano makes on many of the properties....though it's not just the volcano that poses mortal danger, there's another shocking event where Lally and her husband face a life-threatening situation.
Despite the tragedy and the heartbreaking situations and terrible loss of life, Lally writes with warmth and at times humour, and the book ends with hope for the future and regeneration and recovery progress and the resilience of the people triumph over adversity.
The book provoked me to look up actual footage of the eruption (of which there are many, as well as several programmes also) and it's been an education to learn more about this volcanic event.
This is an important and thoughtful book, with well documented historical details.
November 12, 2020
The island of Montserrat is known as "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" due to its incredible lushness and the Irish settlers arriving from the island of St Kitts in 1632. It is also famous for Sir George Martin's AIR recording studios, which attracted many famous musicians including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Phil Collins...
On 18 July 1995, Lally Brown had recently joined her husband on the island, in his new role as Deputy Director of the Public Works Department. They planned to stay on the island for 2 years. However, as she exited Government House after enjoying coffee with a number of other ladies, she sensed a strong smell akin to rotten eggs.
The island's volcano in the Soufriere Hills, which had been asleep for 350 years had become active!
Lally shares the ensuing pyroclastic events and daily challenges of toxic ash, earthquakes, mud slides, food shortages, and an uncertain future.
She lights up each page with her positivity and courage, sharing lots of humorous anecdotes and lively conversations. Despite the ensuing dangers of living close to an active volcano, she and her husband remained on Montserrat for three years in all, determined to help the islanders navigate a terrifying humanitarian crisis.
This book is well written, compulsive reading and an immensely important record of Montserrat's recent history. Highly recommended.
On 18 July 1995, Lally Brown had recently joined her husband on the island, in his new role as Deputy Director of the Public Works Department. They planned to stay on the island for 2 years. However, as she exited Government House after enjoying coffee with a number of other ladies, she sensed a strong smell akin to rotten eggs.
The island's volcano in the Soufriere Hills, which had been asleep for 350 years had become active!
Lally shares the ensuing pyroclastic events and daily challenges of toxic ash, earthquakes, mud slides, food shortages, and an uncertain future.
She lights up each page with her positivity and courage, sharing lots of humorous anecdotes and lively conversations. Despite the ensuing dangers of living close to an active volcano, she and her husband remained on Montserrat for three years in all, determined to help the islanders navigate a terrifying humanitarian crisis.
This book is well written, compulsive reading and an immensely important record of Montserrat's recent history. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2024
Devastating and Courageous
Devastating yet real, courageous people living life in Montserrat. That sums up this book, yet it doesn't. This diary covers a span of time when the author and her husband lived on the island. Happy island life, beachy nice, yet a cloud loomed ahead of each person. This is living with a volcano, an active volcano, one that kills, one that literally moves mountains, or rather blows mountains down while formin g new ones. Three years of living amid a cloud of heavy dust and ash, heavy flows of ash, loss of lifestyle previously known, became real. I can't imagine living on an island in these horrible conditions. One could only live moment by moment, as that was how unpredictable the volcanic activity truly was. Lally writes that about 5,000 still live on this island. That's stamina. To rebuild hotels, businesses, docks, homes, and more is more of a stoic nature of a person rather than the opposite. I know I could not do it. Even a lovely island devoid of active volcanos, I can't live on due to the humidity. Add ash into that, and one must wonder what the true effects were post each ash cloud. Masks only do so much. I applaud those who continue on, persistent in their island life. This book has the nitty gritty of what life was like each day.
Devastating yet real, courageous people living life in Montserrat. That sums up this book, yet it doesn't. This diary covers a span of time when the author and her husband lived on the island. Happy island life, beachy nice, yet a cloud loomed ahead of each person. This is living with a volcano, an active volcano, one that kills, one that literally moves mountains, or rather blows mountains down while formin g new ones. Three years of living amid a cloud of heavy dust and ash, heavy flows of ash, loss of lifestyle previously known, became real. I can't imagine living on an island in these horrible conditions. One could only live moment by moment, as that was how unpredictable the volcanic activity truly was. Lally writes that about 5,000 still live on this island. That's stamina. To rebuild hotels, businesses, docks, homes, and more is more of a stoic nature of a person rather than the opposite. I know I could not do it. Even a lovely island devoid of active volcanos, I can't live on due to the humidity. Add ash into that, and one must wonder what the true effects were post each ash cloud. Masks only do so much. I applaud those who continue on, persistent in their island life. This book has the nitty gritty of what life was like each day.
December 1, 2020
Engaging, exciting and terrifying!
Lally Brown reproduces her journal entries detailing her time living in the shadow of an active volcano on the once beautiful island of Montserrat.
Lally joined her husband on this Caribbean paradise island in 1995 at the time the long dormant volcano in the Soufriere Hills suddenly came to life!
Wonderfully told through vivid descriptions, these terrifying events made me shudder with horror. How anyone can live in constant fear and uncertainty, not knowing when the "big" eruption was going to come, I don't know. I have full respect for everyone living on that island and enduring the endless disruptions to their lives. Credit to Lally and her husband for staying as long as they did.
I really did enjoy this book, full of information and photos. I spent some time looking at photos of the disaster online so I could fully appreciate this amazing book.
Great read and a well deserved 5 Stars.
Lally Brown reproduces her journal entries detailing her time living in the shadow of an active volcano on the once beautiful island of Montserrat.
Lally joined her husband on this Caribbean paradise island in 1995 at the time the long dormant volcano in the Soufriere Hills suddenly came to life!
Wonderfully told through vivid descriptions, these terrifying events made me shudder with horror. How anyone can live in constant fear and uncertainty, not knowing when the "big" eruption was going to come, I don't know. I have full respect for everyone living on that island and enduring the endless disruptions to their lives. Credit to Lally and her husband for staying as long as they did.
I really did enjoy this book, full of information and photos. I spent some time looking at photos of the disaster online so I could fully appreciate this amazing book.
Great read and a well deserved 5 Stars.
July 25, 2023
What an interesting read. I've never given much thought of what it must be like to live close to an active volcano. This account is told in such a way that gives one an understanding of how a volcano behaves and what the people on the island dealt with over a prolonged period; The constant fight against the fine volcanic dust, the fear of not knowing when the "big one" would hit, periodic evacuations and just when you think you have moved into a safe zone, you learn that things have changed again. As they say, the only thing you can bet on is the unpredictability of the volcano.
I waited until I finished reading this book before watching some videos online. I found this one really good:
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
I waited until I finished reading this book before watching some videos online. I found this one really good:
https://www.google.com/search?client=...
June 25, 2020
Lally Brown arrived in Montserrat with her husband, Deputy Director of the Public Works Department, in July 1995. In the same month, a smell of sulphur marked the beginning of a period of seismic activity, leading to major eruptions and programmes of evacuation over the following years. She and her husband left the island in 1998. Her journal gives a detailed picture of life in a time of crisis and uncertainty.
She has added a chapter taking the story up to 2015: further major eruptions up to 2010, and continued monitoring. "Slowly a sense of optimism has returned to Montserrat. Living with an active volcano is now part of normal life for the 5,000 residents." I should like to know more about how this happened.
She has added a chapter taking the story up to 2015: further major eruptions up to 2010, and continued monitoring. "Slowly a sense of optimism has returned to Montserrat. Living with an active volcano is now part of normal life for the 5,000 residents." I should like to know more about how this happened.
January 23, 2020
This book was an excellent companion during some calm moments. It was written very fluently and it was far from boring.
The Volcano, Montserrat and Me: Twenty years with an active volcano is a must read for everyone who is interested in volcanoes, hurricanes and adventure.
I really enjoyed the book based on true happened facts. Wow! Living near a living Volcano, in an active hurricane era really is very adventurous. I admire Lally and her families' bravery very much! I definitely want to read more books from her!
The Volcano, Montserrat and Me: Twenty years with an active volcano is a must read for everyone who is interested in volcanoes, hurricanes and adventure.
I really enjoyed the book based on true happened facts. Wow! Living near a living Volcano, in an active hurricane era really is very adventurous. I admire Lally and her families' bravery very much! I definitely want to read more books from her!
July 23, 2020
Lally Brown has a journalistic eye, filling her books with tremendous detail and background information. This is hugely helpful to me as a researcher on Montserrat's volcanic history! However, it doesn't mean that her books are dry, by any means. During her 3 years on Montserrat, she faced regular natural hazards, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and other dangerous and tragic events, including multiple relocations and even armed robbery. She faces each event stoically, without drama, and is able to recount each occasion in gripping detail.
February 4, 2020
Unbelievable
What an amazing story. I've never heard of this island nor of the erupting volcano. Is is amazing yet tragic so few people died. Lally did a great job of documenting the eruptions and all its consequences. I don't know how she managed through it and and did not leave. Thank you for this amazing story of survival.
What an amazing story. I've never heard of this island nor of the erupting volcano. Is is amazing yet tragic so few people died. Lally did a great job of documenting the eruptions and all its consequences. I don't know how she managed through it and and did not leave. Thank you for this amazing story of survival.
August 5, 2019
Montserrat
Interesting living under a living heaving ,breathing volcano. The living conditions set an example to everyone reading this book of how to buckle up and get on with living regardless of impending disaster...
Interesting living under a living heaving ,breathing volcano. The living conditions set an example to everyone reading this book of how to buckle up and get on with living regardless of impending disaster...
May 29, 2021
Fascinating to read a first-hand account of something I remember reading about in the news. I genuinely didn't realise what an ongoing issue it was. Along the way, I learnt a lot about everyday life in Montserrat, the heartbreak experienced and the people lost.
Enjoyable and informative read.
Enjoyable and informative read.
January 8, 2017
A wonderfully told life experience, that is fascinating and informative, especially for those interested in volcanoes, the caribbean, hurricanes, etc. A very good read!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews