About the Book:

As a child, Robin Bayley was enchanted by his grandmother’s stories of Mexican adventures: of bandits, wild jungle journeys, hidden bags of silver and a narrow escape from the bloody Mexican Revolution. But Robin sensed there was more to these stories than anyone knew, and so he set out to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather. The Mango Orchard is the story of parallel journeys, a hundred years apart, into the heart of Latin America. Undaunted by the passage of time and a paucity of information, Robin seeks out the places where his great-grandfather Arthur ‘Arturo’ Greenhalgh travelled and lived, determined to uncover his legacy. Along the road Robin encounters witches, drug dealers, a gun-toting Tasmanian Devil and an ex-Nazi diamond trader. He is threatened with deportation, offered the protection of Colombian guerrilla fighters and is comforted by the blessings of los santos. He falls in love with a beautiful Guatemalan girl with mystical powers and almost gives up his quest, until a sense of destiny drives him on to western Mexico and the discovery of much, much more than he had bargained for.

My Thoughts:

I must say that Robin Bayley certainly knows how to tell a story. After reading The Mango Orchard: The Extraordinary True Story of a Family Lost and Found I am a lifelong fan. Mr. Bayley eflections, inherent empathy and natural abilities of keen observation and discernment take the reader on a very visceral journey with him versus having the passive experience of simply reading someone’s account of events. The way Bayley skillfully relates his experiences, as varied and unique as they are, in such a way that it pulls you into  the story. His scenes between himself and his relatives and loved ones are very powerful and filled with vulnerability, emotion and meaning. This is a MUST read book!