The Girl With No Name: The Incredible Story of a Child Raised by Monkeys - Softcover

Chapman, Marina; James, Vanessa; Barrett-Lee, Lynne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1605985457 ISBN 13: 9781605985459

Publisher: Pegasus Books, 2014

Synopsis

The amazing story of a girl who overcomes unique hardship and deprivation―growing up with a troop of capuchin monkeys―to find ultimate redemption.- As seen on The Today Show

In 1954, in a remote mountain village in South America, a little girl was abducted. She was four years old. Marina Chapman was stolen from her home and then abandoned deep in the Colombian jungle. That she survived is a miracle. Two days later, half-drugged, terrified, and starving, she came upon a troop of capuchin monkeys. Acting entirely on instinct, she tried to do what they did: she ate what they ate and copied their actions, and little by little, learned to fend for herself.

So begins the story of her five years among the monkeys, during which time she gradually became feral; she lost the ability to speak, lost all inhibition, lost any real sense of being human, replacing the structure of human society with the social mores of her new simian family. But her harrowing adventure was only beginning . . .

In the vein of Slumdog Millionaire and City of God, this rousing story of a lost child who overcomes the dangers of the wild and the brutality of the streets to finally reclaim her life will astonish readers everywhere. 

About this title

About the Author:

Now 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.

Based in Wales, co-author Lynne Barrett-Lee's first novel, Julia Gets a Life, was published by Bantam. Her most recent novel, Barefoot in the Dark, was shortlisted for the inaugural Melissa Nathan Award.

From Booklist:

Torn from her family at the tender age of four and abandoned in the Colombian jungle, Chapman must fight to survive. This remarkable memoir, coauthored by Barrett-Lee, is based on years of Chapman’s conversations about her brutal childhood with her daughter. Her first few, horrifying days in the jungle are presented in vivid detail, as is the troop of capuchin monkeys with which she found refuge and a sense of community over the years. When she casts her lot with hunters who sell her into slavery, her unfamiliarity with basic human concepts is heartbreaking in its entirety. Fortunately, her monkey upbringing has surprising intersections with the talents of a street kid. A well-paced, cliffhanger approach to telling the story makes for a riveting narrative. Chapman’s struggles, no matter how outrageous, are made relatable through the deft descriptions of her thoughts and feelings. A constant theme throughout is her strong desire to be someone. Thrilling, upsetting, and powerful, this memoir is a coming-of-age tale like no other. --Bridget Thoreson

About this edition

• Publisher: Pegasus Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1605985457
• ISBN 13: 9781605985459
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336