Written in 1936, when Amado was twenty-four years old, Sea of Death tells the dockside tales of Bahia. These sailors and their wives, steeped in the rich mythology surrounding the goddess Iemanja, form the central theme of this novel, a lyrical and tragic portrayal of the workers' daily struggle for survival. Sea of Death narrates the story of Guma and Livia, lovers whose triumphs and tribulations mirror the dark imperatives of the world around them.