This book is about a man from middle America who befriends a vagabond who subsequently falls in love with his girlfriend and marries her. The man (whose name I cannot remember) leaves town and goes in search of adventure somewhere in South America where he discovers oil , becomes very wealthy , helps and forms lifelong friendships with several people along the way and returns off and on to his hometown where he is still on great terms with his old girlfriend and her husband etc etc .all in all a very good read and one wishes it were possible to obtain a copy .