Tropical Quests and " is a novel in the form of a memoir about one man's discovery of Key West and its unique characters. The reader experiences first-hand the quirkiness of the island and its life-style, and the historical events - the Mariel Boatlift, the discovery of the treasure ship, Atocha, the world-famous Fantasy Fest, the mock secession of the island from the United States - which have now made the island known throughout the world. Real and fictional characters mix in a tale that writer Rosalind Brackenbury says: and "The themes of delight in life and grief at loss are beautifully intertwined.