In The Curious Adventures of Fletch Highfield, author Jacob Tuttle follows a renowned adventurer's expedition to discover the lost bird of the Amazon. The book has the air of an old novel about the famous explorers of the new world while maintaining a fresh and contemporary perspective on what it means to be human, to remain open to new discoveries, and to see the beauty in the world that surrounds us; integrating the rock-climbing culture of our day into a fantastic world of imagination filled with new plants, creatures, society, and language. Tuttle keeps readers on their feet, eagerly waiting to see what adventure Fletch Highfield's heart for the underknown brings him on next.
In this story of adventure, we follow Fletch Highfield, renowned explorer and discoverer of lost relics, on his quest to find the lost bird of the Amazon. Fletch sets off to South America aboard the eccentric steamboat St. Isabelle, alongside loyal friend and fellow adventurer Sam Johnson and his sister Abigail, newspaper reporter and accidentally consistent travel companion of Highfield and Co. The impressive ship has an amazing number of things to keep a traveler busy and entertained, but for the trio of this story the goal of discovery was significantly more important.
During the voyage Fletch, Sam, and Abigail meet D. L. Martin, the confident and companionable captain of the St. Isabelle. He points Fletch to a potential source of information about the lost bird of the Amazon in the ship's library, which Fletch pores over, gaining integral clues to the bird's origin and potential location. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes that night! Our hero Fletch is tossed overboard returning to his cabin during a storm and is whisked away by the waves.
Hope is not lost however, as a very damp Fletch wakes up in a net under a waterfall in a place he's never seen before. In fact, no human had found that particular valley before. A misfortune turned miracle has led Fletch Highfield to a tropical valley full of old magic, new companions, and hopefully the lost bird. The story that unfolds deep in this hidden valley of South America brings the reader into a world of adventure, friendship, connectedness, and beauty, not to mention a wall surrounded by legend waiting to be climbed.
As Maxwell Highfield, Fletch's brother warns in the foreword, we also cannot demand the reader to follow Fletch's remarkable adventure. It is incredibly dangerous and we cannot be held liable should you attempt to come along; however, diving into the unique and beautiful world of the lost valley of the Amazon, in search of a bird thought to be extinct, alongside new creatures and characters you won't find anywhere else, might just be worth the risk.
