Abandoned

Abandoned by Jules Verne is a crossover sequel of two of Verne's most popular novels, In search of Castaways and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Set during the American Civil War, five Northern prisoners of war band together despite their different backgrounds. Cyrus is a railroad engineer, Gideon is a journalist, Neb is an ex-slave, Pencroff is a sailor, and Harbert is Pencroff's protégé and son. Together, the five prisoners escape their captors by hijacking a hydrogen-filled observation balloon. They fly away from their captor, and begin their journey accompanied with Cyrus' dog, Top. Though they thought their escape would end their troubles, the group soon learn that their journey has only just begun. After accidently flying through a turbulent storm, the five crash onto an unknown island. Now, with a destroyed vessel, they are stranded in a strange land. Accepting their predicament, they name the island and start working together to sustain themselves. By combining their respective expertise, the five are able to build a home, a ship, a rudimentary telegraph, and they even domesticate an orangutan and name them Jupiter. Though, they never stop missing home, Cyrus, Gideon, Neb, Pencroff, Harbert, Top, and Jupiter form a new society. However, when strange items and mysterious fires start appearing on the island, their home is threatened once more as they set out to find explanations for these inexplicable occurrences.

Abandoned joins the ranks of the other incredible adventure novels written by Jules Verne. As a crossover sequel, Abandoned combined characters from two other popular Verne novels, yet still developed them with sentiment and avid description as if they were being introduced for the first time. With themes of unity and ingenuity, Abandoned depicts an adventure both thrilling, and touching. Abandoned has inspired many film adaptations, proving that the narrative survives the test of time and satisfies audiences nearly one-hundred and fifty years later.