Book excerpt: In 1877 Hippolyte and Pauline Lavoipierre arrived at the British Colony of Natal in South Africa. With limited capital and some experience gained in Mauritius Hippolyte set about establishing himself as a sugar planter in the Inanda District, then the developing agricultural heart of the colony. They also came burdened with a number of family secrets. This book examines the couple's complex Franco-Mauritian backgrounds from their origins in France, their grandfathers and fathers experiences in the various colonies of India, Mauritius and the Seychelles and their own struggle to make a success of their lives in Natal. It examines the roles of trade, slavery and indentured labour in their ventures and in the development of 19th century Mauritius and Natal. The surprising disregard of conventions in conservative colonial societies, the financial risks of plantation agriculture and the hidden issue of miscegenation come to light through the experiences of a particular family.