Madagascar, the diamond in the island chain around Africa, one of the most beautiful regions in the world, was still surrounded by the aura of an Eldorado until the early twentieth century. Only a few Europeans managed to reach the interior of the kingdom, which both the French and the English had set their covetous eyes upon. On May 21, 1856, the world traveler and successful travel writer Ida Pfeiffer embarks once again on a great journey; she has no idea that it will be her last. Despite the precarious political situation in Madagascar, she remains undeterred in her plans. Unbeknownst to her, she becomes embroiled in a failed coup.