An "ambitious, fascinating, and richly detailed" work of fiction inspired by the real-life, 37-year friendship between two towering figures of the late nineteenth century-​famed writer and humorist Mark Twain and legendary explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley: "In a class by itself" (Gay Talese). Hijuelos was fascinated by the Twain-Stanley connection and eventually began researching and writing a novel that used the scant historical record of their relationship as a starting point for a more detailed fictional account. It was a labor of love for Hijuelos, who worked on the project for more than ten years; indeed, he was still revising the manuscript the day before his sudden passing in 2013. The resulting novel is a richly woven tapestry of people and events that is unique among the author´s works. Ingeniously blending correspondence, memoir, and third-person omniscience to explore the intersection of these Victorian giants in a long-vanished world, the novel superbly channels two vibrant but very different figures, from their early days as journalists in the American West, to their admiration and support of each other´s writing, mutual hatred of slavery, social life together in the dazzling literary circles of the time, and even a mysterious journey to Cuba to search for Stanley´s adoptive father. A compelling and deeply felt historical fantasia that utilizes the full range of Hijuelos´s gifts, as well as an unforgettable coda to a brilliant writing career. Includes a reading group guide.