Floreana

An island sojourn proves less restorative than hoped for in this clever outing from Raymond (My Last Continent), which centers on two women who visit the Galápagos Islands nearly a century apart. Scientific researcher Mallory, 34, returns from Boston to the island of Floreana in 2020 after separating from her husband, Scott. On Floreana, she rejoins her former lover, Gavin, who supervised her work on penguin conservation a decade earlier. Also on the island is Callie, a nature documentary filmmaker. A parallel narrative follows Dore Strauch, a German woman who left her husband to come to Floreana in 1929. This storyline takes the form of Dore’s journal, in which she writes disparagingly about settlers who came after her arrival, including a baroness who would later disappear along with one of her two young lovers. Now, in 2020, Mallory discovers Dore’s journal and enlists the help of Callie’s assistant, Diego, to translate the entries. Adding to the intrigue, Callie’s intrusive presence reminds Mallory of how Dore felt about the baroness, and it turns out Callie has ulterior motives. As Dore’s account sheds light on the mystery of the disappearances, Raymond reveals how both Mallory and Dore fail to escape their problems, even by crossing the globe. The result is an engrossing narrative of self-reckoning. Agent: Kathy Schneider, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)