On the Backs of Tortoises

Starred review from September 15, 2019
What could be a more iconic symbol of a geographic locality than a Galapagos tortoise? These giant reptiles, remnants of the Pleistocene extinctions, are true "living fossils," and famed for their role in the development of Darwin's theory of evolution. But the tortoises have never existed in a vacuum. They interact not only with the ecology of the islands themselves as a keystone species, but also with the humans who have exploited and then championed them for centuries. In this fresh, insightful look, geographer and environmental historian Hennessey tracks the central role the tortoises have played in the natural, social, and global history of the Galapagos. After Darwin, the patron saint of the islands, Hennessey chronicles sailors' ravishment of the tortoises for food; the introduction of rats, goats, swine, and other nonnative species; the settlement by colonists and their crops, and the varying approaches scientists have taken to safeguard the islands' ecosystem, 97% of which is a protected national park. With the tortoises as the focus, Hennessy's melding of human and natural history makes for thought-provoking reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)