Description

Set against the rugged backdrop of the Channel Islands, the first novel follows a solitary fisherman who undertakes a perilous mission to salvage a shipwrecked steamer. Through his extraordinary struggle against the sea and the elements, Hugo explores themes of human endurance, nature’s awesome power, and unrequited love—part high-seas adventure, part philosophical meditation on the individual’s battle against fate.

The second novel transports the reader to Saint- Domingue at the height of the Haitian Revolution, where an African prince becomes a leader among the enslaved people of the island. Exploring the horrors of slavery and the complexities of rebellion, Hugo’s portrait of his noble and heroic protagonist stands as an early and passionate indictment of colonialism and an eloquent affirmation of human dignity and freedom.