The story of Almayer, a Dutch trader struggling to survive in Malaysia at the turn of the 19th Century. His dream of finding a mythical gold mountain is challenged by his scheming wife, the colonial authorities, the political machinations of the local chief and Arab traders, and his daughter's love for a freedom-fighting Malay prince. Written by Julia Fraser

In Germany's Hurtgen Forest, during the final days of World War 2, an exhausted and overwhelmed band of American army paratroopers fight for survival amid a deadly hidden threat, escalating internal conflict and seemingly impossible odds.