The story of the four siblings is based on true events. On May 1, 2023, a small plane heading to San José del Guaviare indeed crashed in the Apaporis River region of Colombia. The four surviving children wandered alone in the jungle for forty days before being found through the joint efforts of the military and indigenous people. I based my narrative on this true story and aimed to stick to the facts wherever possible. The main sequence of events, the searchers' activities, the tools they used, and their research methods all reflect reality.

However, understandably, little information was available about the details of the children’s wandering. Articles and news reports revealed that the eldest girl carried her younger sister throughout, the children survived for forty days on forest berries and fruits, and Wilson the dog, who got lost in the jungle during a storm, indeed encountered the siblings, roamed with them for more than a week, then disappeared unexpectedly and has not been found since. The searchers discovered various clues and lost items, as well as several makeshift shelters, showing how the children protected themselves from rain and predators. However, the news did not cover what they talked about, what they feared, or the adventures they experienced.

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A few years ago, I also visited eastern Colombia, hiked in the jungle, and even stopped by San José del Guaviare by chance. I experienced firsthand how dark and impenetrable the jungle is, how deafening the howler monkeys’ cries are, how rough the aerial roots of walking palms feel, and, encouraged by our indigenous guide, I even tasted lemon ants from the trees. I tried wild jungle fruits and bitter macuya leaves, was startled with my companions when our indigenous guide found fresh jaguar tracks in the mud, and sometimes jungle insects bit my face so badly it swelled up. I drew on these personal experiences when trying to flesh out the children’s story.

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The story about the siblings’ lives is my invention, but Liana’s tales are based on real South American indigenous folktales and legends. The Tales of Nations series, which includes collections of South and Central American indigenous stories, as well as indigenous Latin American legends and folktales available online, greatly helped me in discovering these narratives.

 

Published by Ecovit Publishing, 2024

Illustrations by Alexandra Grela