The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Irvine, Lucy. Castaway. Random House, 1983.

Sometime in the early spring of 1981, Lucy Irvine, a British civil servant, comes across an intriguing classified advertisement in the travel section of the London Sunday Telegraph magazine reading “WRITER seeks ‘wife’ for year on tropical island.” Already an experienced solo traveler and free-spirit, Lucy wastes no time in responding and arranging a meeting with the adventurous writer in question, Gerald Kingsland, a former men’s magazine publisher 25 years Lucy’s senior. ‘G’, as Lucy refers to Kingsland, strikes her as a real-life Robinson Crusoe, and she realizes that she is one of other young women that G is interviewing to accompany him. Lucy does not take very seriously the mention of marriage, and she is so committed to the prospect of the adventure that she decides to sleep with G after just a couple of social encounters in order to persuade him to select her. The next day, Lucy’s 25th birthday, G ends the search he and Lucy begin planning for the first leg of the expedition. Lucy quits her job and ends her current relationship with an unnamed lover, though she initially balks at the Australian government’s requirement that she and G get legally married in order to receive permission to live on an island in their territory.

After Lucy’s indecision delays their departure from England, she eventually relents and by May she and G are in Brisbane, Australia, newly married and awaiting a final decision from the government about which uninhabited island has been chosen for their yearlong stay. When the first choice of island is deemed to have too many crocodiles and snakes, the two are transported from the old colonial outpost on Thursday Island off the Northern tip of the Queensland state to Tuin, a tiny island in the Outer Torres Strait. Soon after landing, major differences in their characters assert themselves, such as Lucy’s enthusiasm, vitality and dedication to the business at hand, whereas G proves himself lazy, defeatist and belittling. Much of their conflict naturally derives from the age and generation gap, and Lucy wants desperately to please G and earn his approval. Although Lucy must toil with extra effort to compensate for G’s aversion to hard labor, she does not mind and at times the two make an excellent team for collaborative efforts like fishing and gathering coconuts.

As Lucy becomes attuned to the natural rhythms and dictates of island life, she escapes the constant struggle for enough food and water to explore Tuin on her own, forming a deep spiritual connection with her environment. G has been having a rough time on the island, suffering from infected insect bites on top of the hunger and thirst, which compounds the resentment he has been nursing about Lucy’s rejection of his sexual advances ever since their wedding. He accuses her of backing out on a deal, and his petulance and cruelty create an unpleasant environment that Lucy escapes from into the solitude of her diary every chance she gets. After several months of struggling, Lucy and G are both so weakened and malnourished that they reach a kind of truce in the sexual tension with G admitting he has lost all interest.

One day, Lucy is by herself trying to fish when she is greeted by two lslander fishermen, who end up showing her the best places to catch fish and crayfish and sending her back to Tuin with fresh food. Not long after that, G receives a visit from Ronald Lui of neighboring Badu Island, in whose garden shed he and Lucy have been storing their supplies. In conversation, G and Ronald discover some common experiences, like military service, and interests, namely mechanical repair. Ronald begins bringing over various types of engines and generators belonging to fellow Badu residents for G to fix, with G and Lucy receiving enormous quantities of rice, flour, milk, and sugar in exchange for the work. Soon, all the calorie-heavy food lets Lucy and G gain back lost weight and improve their health and spirits. As G’s reputation has spread, he has been summoned to Badu Island by its Chief, Crossfield Ahmat, to diagnose and repair Crossfield’s beloved old tractor. Lucy avoids going with G on his daytrips to Badu, preferring instead to be alone on Tuin, but her absence becomes increasingly felt by the Baduleega, who have already heard that G is married. Crossfield insists that they join him as his guests, and although Lucy loves Crossfield’s family, and has gotten close to many new friends on Badu, she detests having to play the role of G’s dutiful wife when she would rather be alone with her diary. Lucy knows that they more time G spends on Badu fixing engines, the more time she will be expected to be at his side and not on Tuin fulfilling their original plan for the survival adventure she signed on for. So, she devises a way to keep G on Tuin by finally giving herself to him sexually, thus initiating an intense erotic relationship between the two that Lucy enjoys on multiple levels, including the power she feels over G.

As their island year approaches its end, G has decided to stay on Badu to expand his repair business to other islands in the Outer Strait. Lucy knows she does not want to stay on as his wife, but also knows that Tuin is off limits to her without him. G expresses his interest in staying together and even, lamely, having a child together, but although Lucy is too concerned about his feelings to answer him directly, she has made up her mind to return to the U.K. alone. When the day comes for Lucy to catch her plane back to the mainland from the Badu airstrip, Crossfield arranges for a procession with Lucy the guest of honor riding on his tractor. G pulls Lucy aside and makes a terse, hasty goodbye before going back to work on an engine, reminding her that she always has a place next to him. When Lucy gets to the airstrip, Crossfield and his wife wonder why G has not joined them, but do not press the matter. As the small plane takes off, Lucy looks through the window and describes watching Tuin become a small speck in the blue sea before disappearing.