Peter Denton is a molecular immunologist. In 1976, he sailed a 60-foot gaff-rigged schooner across the Pacific Ocean. Peter and members of his Oregon commune built it. He traveled widely in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia. He ran scientific expeditions throughout the area. His stories are based in real locations, and as in this instance, based on real people. His boat, Endurance, was lost in a hurricane. Putting his high-sea adventures behind him, Peter returned to the USA to obtain his PhD at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He writes full-time.