The Girl With No Name - Marina Chapman

It all happened so quickly. One minute I was squatting on the bare earth. preoccupied with popping pea pods. The next, I saw the flash of a black hand and white cloth, and before I even had a chance to cry out it had sailed towards my face, and completely covered it.

In 1954, in a remote South American village, a four year old girl was abducted and then abandoned deep in the Colombian rain-forest.

So begins the incredible true story of Marina Chapman, who went on to spend several years alone in the jungle, her only family a troop of Capuchin monkeys. Using instinct to guide her, she copied everything they did and soon learned to fend for herself.

At around 10 years old, a completely feral Marina was returned to civilization by hunters, who sold her to a brothel. After being enslaved and beaten daily, she escaped to live the perilous existence of a Colombian city street kid.

Marina's life as a wild child wasn't over. In some ways, it had only just begun. This is her astonishing story.


Published by: Reach - Memoir
Year: 2013 - Paperback
Pages: 253
ISBN: 978-1-78057-654-1

Marina Chapman as she is now known was only a small child around 4 years old when she was cruelly taken from her parents home. For what purpose is uncertain as Marina was abducted only to then be left in the rain-forest.  She had no means or understanding of how to look after herself until she came across a troop of Capuchin monkeys who then became her family for the next few years. Marina can only guess how long she remained in the jungle by letting her hair grow to the length it was when she left the jungle and monitoring how long it took to grow to that length which she guesstimates at approximately six years.  Eventually she is found and she hopes that this will put an end to her misery. Unfortunately she is then left with a women who runs a brothel. Initially she is used to look after the house but once she becomes a young women she soon realises that she will be expected to work like the other girls.  In the meanwhile she is subjected to terrible abuse by the madam who runs the brothel.  As time passes she befriends a neighbour who eventually helps her to escape this life by first taking her to a convent a few miles away and then to her own daughter who lives far enough away to protect Marina from the cruelties she has endure so far in her young life.

Marina's story was very sad, but stops at the point where she escapes the brothel and the madam who runs it.  You are left wondering how did she eventually come to the UK, where did she meet her husband. There is no mention of a sequel to The Girl With No Name so you are left somewhat wondering what happened next. 

Happy reading one & all

Mx