Islands in the Stream was meant to encompass three stories to illustrate different stages in the life of its main character, Thomas Hudson.

[2] The first act, "Bimini", begins with an introduction to the character of Thomas Hudson, a typical Hemingway stoic male figure.

Hudson is an American painter who finds tranquility on the island of Bimini, in the Bahamas, a far cry from his usual adventurous lifestyle.

"At Sea", the final act, follows Hudson and a team of irregulars aboard their boat as they track and pursue survivors of a sunken German U-boat along the Jardines del Rey archipelago on the northern coast of Cuba.

[3] He is shown in the adjacent picture standing next to what was believed to be a 1,000 pound marlin that had been half eaten by sharks while Strater landed the fish.

While on Bimini, Gerald and Sara Murphy, good friends of Hemingway, lost their young son, Baoth, to illness.