TIM ECOTT

La vainilla, considerada como el aroma más versátil del mundo, es una orquídea. Era una planta venerada por los aztecas, pero su secreto sólo pudo descubrirlo en 1841 un niño, un esclavo africano de doce años. Durante mucho tiempo, Tim Ecott ha seguido la pista de la historia de esta planta, desde la costa del Golfo de Mexico a Madagascar, Tahiti, Isla de la Reunion y las Seychelles, pasando por las colecciones botanicas de media Europa. En esta obra el autor nos descubre que hoy su valor situa a la vainilla en el centro de un millonario comercio secreto por el que algunos hombres han sido asesinados...

In this excellent book Ecott s evocative telling makes me want to go to this weird and wonderful place PAUL THEROUX I never want to leave the remote island world so atmospherically precisely educed between the covers of this book Ecott s prose has the power of tides his perception is as searching as the Atlantic wind and he has the soul of a natural born naturalist A masterpiece JOHN LEWIS STEMPLE Following the natural cycle of the year The Land of Maybe captures the essence of slow life on the 18 remote mysterious islands which make up the Faroes in the North Atlantic Closer to the UK than Denmark this fast disappearing world is home to a close knit society where just 50 000 people share Viking roots and a language that is unlike any other in Scandinavia We follow the arrival of the migratory birds the over wintering of the sheep and the way food is gathered and eaten in tune with the seasons Buffeted by the weather and the demands of a volatile natural environment people still hunt seabirds and herd pilot whales for a significant portion of their basic food needs This is not a travelogue but a deeper exploration of how to be in a tough landscape a study of a people and a way of life that represents continuity and a deep connecti

An island without a harbour, encircled by perilous cliffs and rising high above the wild Atlantic ocean, farmed by the same family for eight generations. What is it like to live at the edge of the world?In this marvel of quiet reflection and keen observation, Tim Ecott takes the reader to Stora Dimun - an isolated island farm in the Faroe Islands with only two permanent residents. He finds a remarkable way of living; one where youre isolated but never truly alone, surrounded by remarkable wildlife and an ever-changing landscape. On the island, every day is spent breathing fresh air, managing your livestock and continuing the work begun by your forebears hundreds of years ago. Here, time blurs - technology may encroach, but traditions are engrained.Tracking the rhythm of the year and the challenges of life on this island, this book is a celebration of both the human spirit and our relationship with the natural environment. It is about sustainability, resilience and how to survive and adapt when the world is rushing headfirst into a digital future of artificial intelligence and anonymous food chains. Evas Island is a call to anyone who has ever dreamt of a life on an island of ones own.