Abandoned

Clipperton Island, the most remote part of Mexico, a tiny atoll lost in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. Surrounded by dangerous surf, repeatedly devastated by intense storms, infested with land crabs, the surrounding waters patrolled by sharks. Five women and eight young children, abandoned, the starving remnants of a garrison left to its fate in the chaos of the Mexican Revolution. The only surviving man, the lighthouse keeper, a monster who would be king of them all. Handsome, upright, duty-bound Ramon Arnaud is made governor of Clipperton Island. At his side is his beautiful and adventurous young wife, Alicia Rovira. Their youthful romance grows into a profound love and together, against all odds, they build an almost utopian community on their desert island. When revolution throws Mexico into a nightmare of blood and fire, Clipperton Island is forgotten and the supply ships stop coming. One by one, the men die, leaving only Alicia, four other women, the children and the lighthouse keeper alive on the island. And so begins a reign of unremitting terror that will last for more than two years. Written against the colorful backdrop of Mexican history, Abandoned is the inspirational true story of the women's struggle to survive unimaginable hardship and cruelty and of their ultimate triumph over their tormentor. Although written as a novel, all of the significant events actually happened and all of the main characters were real people.