Short Synopsis
Jules Verne's nineteenth-century adventure novel follows Joam Garral, a ranch owner living near the Peruvian-Brazilian border on the Amazon River who is forced to travel downstream when his past catches up with him.

Full Synopsis
Joam Garral of Iquitos, Peru, concedes to his daughter's wishes to travel to Belem, Brazil, where she can marry Manuel Valdez in the presence of Manuel's invalid mother. The Garrals plan to make the journey to Belem down the Amazon River via a giant raft. Along the way, Joam plans to get his good name restored, as he is still wanted in Brazil for a crime he did not commit. Absolute proof of Joam's innocence lies in the hands of a scoundrel named Torres, who has a cryptogram that will exonerate Garral. However, the price that Torres wants for this information is much too high. Will Joam's love and dedication to his family help him in his struggle to right injustice? And will the strange encoded message be deciphered in time to save him?