A typical Michener *roman a clef* spanning several hundred years of history of the Caribbean region. Starting with a few chapters of the indigenous history, it evolves to follow the fortunes of families from England, Spain, France and Africa as their experiences as plantation owners, imperial administrators and naval officers, slaves and freemen intertwine over the years to the time of publication of the novel (1980s).
From a historical perspective, it educates on the role of sugar in the colonization of the various islands such as Jamaica and Haiti and how the legacy of colonization affects the culture and economic health of the current nations.
One particularly interesting set of vignettes is devoted to the Caribbean service of the British naval hero Horatio Nelson.
**James A. Michener** was born in 1907 and raised by a Quaker woman in Pennsylvania. During World War II he served with the U.S. Navy and traveled across the Pacific. His *Tales of the South Pacific* won the Pulitzer Prize in 1947. He lived with his wife in Austin, Texas. He was director of the Texas Center for Writers at the University of Texas.
