First published 1983
In the dense Amazon rainforest, missionary Martin Quarrier arrives with his family to bring Christianity to remote Indian tribes. His mission takes a deadly turn when he encounters Lewis Moon, a mercenary pilot hired by local authorities to eliminate the same indigenous people Quarrier hopes to save. Moon, part Cheyenne himself, finds his loyalties shifting as he witnesses the destruction of native culture. The jungle becomes a battleground where religious fervor meets violent pragmatism. Quarrier struggles to protect his wife and child while pursuing his calling. Moon must choose between his contract and his conscience. As both men sink deeper into the green hell of the Amazon, their opposing missions spiral toward a confrontation that will test everything they believe about civilization, faith, and survival. The forest strips away their certainties, leaving them to face the raw truth about what it means to be human in a world where cultures clash and blood flows as freely as the river.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, adventure
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Amazon, Brazil
Period: 20th-century
399 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam Books
Content warnings: violence