Allan Quatermain, hero of King Solomon's mines, tells a moving tale of his first wife, the Dutch born Marie Marais, and the adventures that were linked to her beautiful, tragic history. This moving story depicts the tumultuous political era of the 1830's involving the trek-Boers, French colonists and the Zulu tribe in the Cape colony of South Africa. Hate and suspicion run high between the home government and the Dutch subjects. Alan accompanies the ill-fated Pieter Retief and the Boer Commision on an embassy to the Zulu despot, Dingaan. Villains attempt to kill Allan and rob him of his wife. The unfortunate mission ends in a blood-curdling massacre. Written at a time when slavery was widespread, Marie portrays characters and views reflective of its era. This is the first book in the Zulu trilogy (Marie, Child of Storm, and Finished).