When Gilliat sees Deruche writing his name in the snow, he falls in love - one day, he must have this magical young woman as his bride. The chance to win Deruche's heart comes, however, in a surprising way. Deruche's uncle owns the first steamship of the island. When the steamship gets wrecked, Deruche is ready to marry the person who has the skills to fix the ship and set it free - and Gilliat is ready to have a try. 'Toilers of the Sea' is Victor Hugo's novel first published in 1866.-

Victor Hugo (1802-1885) was a French writer. He is best known for his novels 'Les Misérables' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'. Hugo made his debut at a very young age; he published his very first book 'Odes et poésies diverses' at the age of 20. Hugo was also a human rights activist, and many of his works deal with human rights.