A titan of American letters, Paul Theroux wowed audiences and critics with his modern classic Mosquito Coast. Its captivating thematic cousin, The Lower River stars Ellis Hock, a man whose dreams of world travel and humanitarianism in the Peace Corps were dashed when he returned home to assume control of his family's business. Now with his wife having left and his life stagnant, Ellis makes the fateful decision to travel back to the small African village he once called home. Yet the happiness and fulfillment he seeks remain elusive.