The True Sea — F.W. Belland

Set in the Florida Keys in the years from 1909 till 1925, "The True Sea" tells the story of a boy growing into manhood against the drama of the construction of the Overseas Railroad. Henry Flagler's railroad, which ultimately linked Key West to the rest of America, promised the people of the isolated Florida Keys prosperity and access to the world beyond its sun-drenched shores. It did change the Florida Keys forever, but not necessarily in ways promised or expected.

Here is a tale of the fascinating history of one of America's most spectacular and unique environments; of prohibition and rum-runners, of schooners and sailors and the islanders who depended upon them, of the plundering of the islands' natural resources, and of progress and growth, with its rich rewards as well as its heavy costs.