Though many untouched corners of the globe have been hailed as the last Eden, Surinam has a legitimate claim to the title. Ninety percent of this mysterious country is covered in thick neo-tropical jungle, and only 430,000 people live here. Once traded to the Dutch by the English in return for modern-day Manhattan, the jungles of Suriname are widely considered the largest tract of pristine rainforest left on earth.

As a young scientist, Westoll spent a year living in these rainforests. Five years on, he returns to satisfy his long-standing obsession: to uncover Suriname’s quintessential soul. The result is SURINAME, a passionate, beautifully written travel-memoir and eco-narrative. Westoll’s spell-binding stories – of myths, murder, friendships and exploitation – are set against a quest for the rare and beautiful blue frog, the okopipi. Thoughtfully, with ravishing writing and a dash of the modern-day explorer, he brings to life the conflicts and wonders at the heart of Suriname’s wild places.