First published 1982
Sabino stands apart from his wealthy mining family, despised for his cruelty and pride. When saboteurs begin attacking a crucial railway line, he accepts command of a military expedition driven by his thirst for personal vengeance. He marches his ragged army of undernourished soldiers through harsh, unforgiving terrain toward their target. The brutal landscape mirrors the internal wasteland Sabino carries within himself. As his men struggle against hunger and the elements, Sabino confronts the darkness that has shaped his life. The mission to destroy the railway attackers becomes something unexpected: a chance to discover whether a man can change his fundamental nature. The South American wilderness strips away pretense and forces Sabino to reckon with who he truly is beneath the violence and arrogance that define him.
Genres: historical-fiction, military-fiction, adventure, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, man-vs-nature, redemption-arc
Setting: South America
Period: 19th-century
359 pages · Paperback · Penguin
Content warnings: violence