The Toilers of the Sea

First published in 1866, this novel is set on Guernsey and follows the fisherman Gilliatt, who undertakes to salvage the engine of a wrecked steamer from the Douvres rocks in order to win Deruchette, niece of the shipowner Lethierry. Isolated on the reef he fights tide, storm, and a giant octopus, while on shore a clergyman and local gossip reshape Deruchette's future. The Channel Islands, the reef, and the harbour town form the setting. The book is a romantic novel of labor and the sea, not a travel guide to Guernsey.

Quarter bound in Indian goatskin leather with printed cloth sides. Gilded top edge. 36 colour illustrations. Inset illustration on.