First published 1985
Bob Dubois has watched his version of the American dream crumble. Now he works the waters off the Florida Keys, hauling nets on a fishing boat under the blazing sun. The work is hard and the pay modest, but it keeps him afloat after his earlier failures. Then an opportunity presents itself that could change everything. Two Haitians need passage into Florida, and someone is willing to pay well for their safe transport. Bob finds himself drawn into a smuggling operation that will test not just his seamanship but his moral compass. The Caribbean waters that once offered him honest work now become the stage for a dangerous gamble. As Bob navigates between legal fishing and illegal cargo, he must weigh his own desperate needs against the risks of helping others chase their own version of the American dream.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Florida, Caribbean, Florida Keys
Period: Contemporary
366 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins