Super Short Summary

Set aboard the Lillias Eden, a ship sailing from the Cayman Islands along the edge of Central America, American author Peter Matthiessen’s adventure novel Far Tortuga (1975) follows the ship’s captain, Raib Avers, and his crew as they embark on a dangerous journey marked by suspicion, social conflict, and murder while attempting to catch green sea turtles for trade amidst encounters with villagers and competing vessels. This novel addresses themes such as nationalism, paranoia, environmental destruction, and natural disaster.