In the Shadow of Mt. Oro by Gloria August

Olive and Violet Bright have arrived on Cocoanut Palm Island for the opening of the Pacific Research Institute when Judith Pinckney shows them a beautiful, exotic flower before she departs for Hermosa. She explains that what she’s holding is a Water Orchid, a plant thought to have been extinct but is now growing again on the island. At the same time, there are reports of strange runoff in the waterways of Cocoanut Palm Island that’s harming the native wildlife. Olive and Violet take the flower to the Institute for examination. With the help of Lieutenant William Charlesson, the lead scientist at the Institute, they set about investigating the mystery and discover the tragic history that led to the suppression of the enchanting orchid. As they unravel the mystery, the Water Orchid begins to claim more of the island at the expense of everything else, and the young English turn to the Tahitian leaders and their priests for help. Together, they rally the people in a fight to save the island from impending ecological catastrophe.