277/9 ( )

Harvey Leith is a physician who has had his research into a new drug turn out badly. His trials on three patients have led to their deaths. He is stricken with depression so his friend books him on a cruise to the Canary Islands. On the ship which he has been tricked into boarding, he meets a the wife of a rich landowner. He falls in love.

Also on the ship are a missionary who is accompanied by his sister, a wealthy woman who marries and divorces men regularly and an upper crust gentleman of no means who lives off the generosity of others.

When they reach the island of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, an epidemic of yellow fever is raging. The missionary has been distracted by his lust for the divorcee, the doctor comes out of his doldrums to fight the fever and other characters are made or broken by how they face the fever crisis.

The novel is a somewhat over dramatic. However, Cronin has the eye for describing fauna and geography. This was his fourth novel. ( )

Moderately interesting predictable period piece by Cronin that once again delves into the life of a dedicated loner doctor....this time one ostracized for experiments gone bad and sent on a recovery journey that lands him in the middle of a yellow fever outbreak in the Canary Islands. A slow boat trip there introduces us to a bizarre little subset of passengers that will play major roles until the story's end. Certainly a sappy love story, but interesting in the setting at least.....not Cronin's best. ( )

I read this one because I love 'The Citadel'. What a bad story this was. ( )