This is a World War II novel set in the jungles of Sumatra and on the volcanic island of Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait. Harry is a geologist who has volunteered to be a Coast Watcher so that he can live on and monitor the most destructive volcano on the planet. Clyde and Neville are a pair of English plantation owners who have also become Coast Watchers but are continually getting into trouble. In the course of his work, Harry discovers a group of Dutch plantation owners trying to escape the Japanese Army. Harry takes it upon himself to save the group which includes Marieke a lovely widow.This story blends the natural beauty of the region with the desperate struggle of people fleeing for their lives as the war consumes everything in its path.