&#8220;For many days we had been tempest-tossed&#8230;the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost.&#8221; <br><br>From these dire opening lines, a timeless story of adventure begins. One family will emerge alive from this terrible storm: the Robinsons&#8212;a Swiss pastor, his wife, and four sons, plus two dogs and a shipload of livestock. Inspired by Daniel Defoe&#8217;s <b>Robinson Crusoe</b><i>,</i> this heartwarming tale portrays a family&#8217;s struggle to create a new life on a strange and fantastic tropical island. There each boy must learn to utilize his own unique nature as their adventures lead to difficult challenges and amazing discoveries, including a puzzling message tied to an albatross&#8217;s leg. But it is in the ingenuity and authenticity of the family itself, and the natural wonders of this exotic land that have made <b>The Swiss Family Robinson</b><i>,</i> first published at the beginning of the nineteenth century, one of the most enduring and imitated stories of shipwreck and survival.<br><br><br><i>From the Paperback edition.</i>