Green Mansions: A Romance of the Tropical Forest

After a failed revolution, Abel flees the city of Caracas and flees into the unexplored jungles of Guayanna.  Battling fever and hunger, he finally settles in an old native village where he is welcomed and given shelter.  But he is sternly warned not to enter the forest lest he encounter a demon they have come to fear, “The Daughter of the Didi.”

 

Intrigued, Abel explores the jungle and is drawn deeper into the forest by a strange, bird-like singing.  He enters an enchanting section of wood where he meets the enigmatic Rima.  The girl is a mystery; dark-haired, clothed in cobwebs, and conversing with the birds in a strange, melodic language.  She lives with her “grandfather,” Nuflo, who is every bit as mysterious as Rima; especially with her past, which he keeps a closely guarded secret. 

 

Who is this curious and enthralling woman with no past who converses with birds as old friends?  Why does Nuflo guard her history so closely, even from her?  Can Abel convince the natives to welcome this strange forest demon they have come to fear?  Or is their story to be cut short by hate and blood?