On the lush tropical island of Martinique live Clement and Hippolyte, two inseparable friends. When Clement falls in love with the beautiful Pauline, Hippolyte agrees to join his best friend on his journey to propose marriage. But when Pauline accepts Clement's proposal, it enrages her uncle Monsieur Zabocat -- reputed to be a quimboiseur, a wizard. To prevent the wedding, the old wizard lures Hippolyte into a deadly trap, forcing him to choose between his friend's safety and his own.

Robert D. San Souci and Brian Pinkney again combine their talents in this beautiful retelling of a traditional tale from the French West Indies. The result is an extraordinary story of romance, intrigue, and incomparable courage in which the truest of friends remain faithful to the very end.