In 1830, Captain Benjamin Morrell of Connecticut kidnapped a young nobleman, Dako, from an island off the coast of New Guinea, to exhibit him in Broadway shows. Based on newly discovered archives, this book tells their story for the first time. Alternating between the perspectives of captor and captive, it records the growing friendship between the two men, explores Morrell’s ambiguous character, and charts the return journey that brought Dako back to his homeland.