Collected Observations on the Magma of a Volcano and the Sentiments of the Heart

In 1882, Jules Moreau, a young geologist from Le Havre, steps off a steamer at the Barachois in Saint Denis, La Réunion. Eager to study the island's fiery heart, he is not interested in ordinary sedimentary layers or plutonic rocks. Instead, his fascination lies with volcanoes, magma, and the raw, unpredictable forces that shape the Earth. La Réunion, with its towering peaks and active craters, promises discoveries unlike any in the world.

Amid the smoke and molten rock, Jules meets Charles Fontaine, a timid, aspiring botanist whose deep curiosity about the island's flora mirrors Jules' own obsession with its volcanic secrets. Together, they navigate the untamed beauty of La Réunion, uncovering both scientific marvels and the delicate stirrings of the heart.