10 h 53 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 10 h 53 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What keeps courage alive when the ship is gone and a lonely shore is all that remains?
In Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island, Julia de Winton turns toward the sea and the hard questions of survival. The ocean offers a road away from home, but it also brings danger. On an isolated shore, practical skill matters, and ordinary needs become urgent problems.
This children's adventure explores courage, faith and the pull of home in a plain, direct style. Shelter, water and food give survival its concrete shape. The Welsh and English title also offers a point of interest for readers drawn to Wales and its literary history.
What you’ll discover
- The sea's double promise Meet an ocean that opens a path outward while carrying the threat of shipwreck.
- Small tasks, real stakes Discover how the search for shelter, water and food gives everyday decisions their weight.
- Courage without grand gestures Look for bravery in ordinary choices, where practical skill meets the need to keep going.
- Hope on a lonely shore Explore the place of faith and thoughts of home within this survival adventure.
- A gentler adventure tradition Enter Julia de Winton's world of children's fiction, where adventure carries a moral purpose.
Who will love it
Readers who love family adventure, island survival and the Robinson Crusoe tradition will enjoy it. It suits anyone who likes warm humor, spirited girls and loyal sailors.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A holiday becomes an Atlantic adventure
- Everyone takes a turn at survival
- Safety gives way to another danger
- Daily tasks keep fear at bay
- A house makes their stay real
- An approaching ship may mean danger
- Courage grows through work and laughter
- Distinct voices bring the family alive
- Ordinary people learn to become capable
Who’s who
- Mother (June)The narrator and leader of the party, who keeps the journal, worries about her children, and wants to bring everyone home safely.
- Schillie (Mrs. E.)Mother's blunt, practical cousin, called the little mother, who grumbles constantly yet organizes, builds and protects the group.
- MadameThe anxious, kindly governess who clings to lessons and ladylike manners and wants her pupils safe and well taught.
- GattyA tall, mischievous girl of about twelve with great energy, loyal to England, who wants adventure and loves teasing.
- OscarMother's eldest son, a serious, quick boy who loves guns and home and tries to act as the island's protector.
- FelixMother's frail, spoiled youngest son, who grows brown and bold on the island and adores his monkey and his parrot.
- Captain MacNabThe warm-hearted Scottish captain who loves La Luna and the children, and wants to repair the ship and return for them.
- SmartThe Gloucestershire gamekeeper, afraid of the sea but fearless on land, devoted to the boys and his dogs.
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Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island
by Julia de Winton · 1857
A storm strands a yacht of women and children on an island with a giant snake, and pirates are coming.
Medium level5–10 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What would you do if a storm threw your whole family onto an island that no ship ever visits? In this book, a mother, her cousin, a governess, six girls, two boys and two servants face exactly that.
Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 20 min5 h fast, 7 h 30 min slow
- Length
- 90,500 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1857by Julia de Winton
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A pleasure cruise leaves England
On the third of May, the yacht La Luna sails from England. Her captain is MacNab, a blunt and kindly Scot who is not pleased to command so many women and children. His crew includes fourteen handpicked sailors.
Mother tells the story. Her cousin Mrs. E., called Schillie, is short, sharp and fearless. Madame the governess watches over the older girls Sybil, Serena and Gatty, and the little ones Zoë, Winny and Lilly. Mother's sons Oscar and Felix come along to bring color back to Felix's cheeks.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1857
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 7 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
De Winton, Julia. Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/yr-ynys-unyg-the-lonely-island.
De Winton, J. (2026). Yr ynys unyg: The lonely island. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/yr-ynys-unyg-the-lonely-island (Original work published 1857)
De Winton, Julia. Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/yr-ynys-unyg-the-lonely-island.
@book{dewinton2026yr,
author = {De Winton, Julia},
title = {Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/yr-ynys-unyg-the-lonely-island},
note = {First published 1857}
}
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What is Yr Ynys Unyg: The Lonely Island about?
It tells of a yacht carrying a mother, her cousin, a governess, children and servants. A hurricane wrecks them on a remote island, where they meet a giant snake, build a home, and face pirates while hoping for rescue.
What does Yr Ynys Unyg mean?
It is Welsh for The Lonely Island. The shipwrecked party chooses the name on Christmas Day, and pronounces the last word as inig. They also name their house Cartref Pellenig, which means The Distant Home.
Who are Schillie and Mother in the story?
Mother is the narrator who keeps the journal and cares for her children. Schillie, or Mrs. E., is her cousin, called the little mother. She is short, blunt and funny, and she becomes the practical heart of the island.
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