The Farm on the River of Emeralds,
by Moritz Thomsen, tells the story of a 53 year-old Peace Corps
volunteer that buys and runs a farm jointly with a poor black
Ecuadorian. The book provides a vivid depiction of the rural
Ecuadorian in the 1970s and intense human insight into what it means
to be poor. Martin, the author, and Ramon, his partner, embark on a
tumultuous adventure when they decide to etch a living out of the
jungle.
The story is based around different
characters that involve themselves with the farm: the relatives of
Ramon that cling to his recent prosperity, the workers and their
struggles with life, and members of Male''s society. Ramon plays a
big role in telling the story and one can almost sense the words
coming out of his mouth as Thomsen relates different happenings, in
addition to conversations the two have. Poverty is the most
important theme, and even Thomsen relates the poverty he drove
himself into as a pig farmer in California. Souls rot from poverty
just as the jungle eats through home and belongings.