A High Wind in Jamaica , first published as The Innocent Voyage in 1929, is a classic coming-of-age novel. The story centers on the five children of the Bas-Thornton family, living on a plantation in late nineteenth-century Jamaica. Following a devastating hurricane, their parents send the children to England aboard a merchant ship which is captured by pirates shortly after the ship sets sail. What follows is an intense, gripping story of children forced to deal with difficult situations and with emotions they are not yet equipped to handle. The book is considered to have set the stage for later novels such as Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and was the subject of a 1965 movie of the same name. Included in this edition is an Introduction by Isabel Paterson and four illustrations from the 1932 edition. English author Richard Hughes (1900-1976), wrote novels, children's stories, plays, and poetry. A High Wind in Jamaica is his most famous work.