The Ebb-Tide (Paperback or Softback)

The Ebb-Tide (1894) is a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne. Published the year of Stevenson’s death from tuberculosis, the last of three collaborations between the legendary Scottish storyteller and his stepson is a story of adventure, friendship, and greed. Although less popular than other titles in Stevenson’s body of work, the novel has been recognized for its pointed critique of British and American imperialism in the South Pacific. Tossed by the waves of fate, three beggars frequent the ports of Tahiti in search of money and food for survival. When a merchant schooner devastated by smallpox docks at Papeete in need of new officers, the only men willing to take the job are Davis, Herrick, and Huish. A former sea captain, Davis takes charge of the vessel filled with crates of champagne, but soon the men find their cargo too tempting to leave untested. As the crew descends into drunkenness, Huish―the only beggar born into poverty, the only one among them who understands the value of a job―takes control of the schooner. As they near their final destination, as the men begin to worry about the missing cargo and lack of food, a plot to overthrow the officers takes form.

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Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish poet, novelist, and travel writer. Born the son of a lighthouse engineer, Stevenson suffered from a lifelong lung ailment that forced him to travel constantly in search of warmer climates. Rather than follow his father’s footsteps, Stevenson pursued a love of literature and adventure that would inspire such works as Treasure Island (1883), Kidnapped (1886), Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), and Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes (1879).

Lloyd Osbourne (1868-1947) was an American author and the stepson of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Born in San Francisco, he moved to Europe with his mother Fanny in 1875. While living in Paris, Fanny married Stevenson, with whom she traveled to the South Pacific. Encouraged in his literary interests by the legendary writer, Lloyd collaborated with his stepfather on three novels: The Wrong Box (1889); The Wrecker (1892); and The Ebb-Tide (1894).