Karana, fictitious name by O'Dell for the Lost Woman of San Nicolas Island, aka Juana Maria, is left behind on San Nicolas Island and lives for approximately twenty years without human contact. Not much is known of her as she was the last of her kind, spoke an unknown language, and died before learning English. Scott O'Dell did a wonderful job of creating a diary of what it may have been like for the young girl left on an island all by herself for nearly twenty years. He did not spend a lot of time and effort on being overly dramatic. It is more like a diary. Since there is not a lot known of this person all that can be written is speculation.