Eva and the Island by Tim Ecott

Eva and the Island by Tim Ecott

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 Stóra Dímun - an isolated island farm in the Faroe Islands with only two permanent residents. He finds a remarkable way of living; one where you're isolated but never truly alone, surrounded by 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 ingrained.

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. Eva and the Island is a call to anyone who has ever dreamt of an island of one's own.

Tim Ecott is a former BBC World Service correspondent specialising in Africa and the Indian Ocean. He has written for The Economist, The Times, Telegraph and Guardian and continues to contribute to BBC radio output on the World Service and Radio 4.
For many years he has been a regular visitor to the Faroe Islands.