The Pearl Fishers

"The Pearl Fishers" by H. De Vere Stacpoole is an early 20th-century novel following Floyd, a young sailor who survives a shipwreck and washes ashore on a deserted lagoon island. He meets Schumer, another survivor and trader, and Isbel, a Polynesian girl, and the three are drawn into the lagoon's depths, where they seek fortune in pearls. The story opens with Floyd awakening alone after the schooner "Cormorant" is destroyed by fire, reliving the tragedy through flashbacks that introduce conflicts among the crew. As Floyd drifts, hope returns with the sight of an island, leading to his meeting with Schumer and Isbel, setting the stage for an adventure filled with the allure of treasure intertwined with the challenges of isolated human connections.