Review
WL Rating
Kathy Marks’ book, Lost Paradise, documents the recent notorious child abuse trials on Pitcairn Island. Historically known as the original settlement of Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian and his mates, modern Pitcairn islanders have worked hard to perpetuate the myth that the island was a bastion of God-fearing, community-focused people living in an Eden-like paradise. As it turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. Marks’ book provides a detailed summary of the allegations, trials, pathology and resulting convictions of Pitcairn’s child abusers. While the author does a good job of establishing a longstanding foundation upon which child abuse could thrive in condoned silence, the narrative goes into excruciating levels of rambling detail that leave you praying for a quick and merciful end to the book. At 352 pages, this book was about 252 pages too long. So, let me save you the effort of having to plow through it. The men on Pitcairn Island sexually abused their female children (ages 8 and up) for generations. The women on the island quietly accept the abuse and will defend their men to the end. The church was complicit in the abuse, and English empire nostalgics prefer to turn a blind eye to the abuse in order to preserve their romantic views of Pitcairn life. So, if someone you know starts talking about Pitcairn as a fanciful South Pacific paradise, you can set them straight. The story, and the truth, are horrible. It’s unfortunate that the book isn’t far behind. (August 2009)
Lost Paradise - Kathy Marks
