The following is a chronological summary of the events of the novel. The narrative itself is structured in a much less linear fashion.
The fictional South American country of Costaguana is under the control of a dictator—a so-called enlightened despot—named Don Vincente Ribiera. In the province of Sulaco is a silver mind of vital national importance run by Charles Gould. Charles is married to Emilia whom has managed to charm the populace of the country in a way not entirely dissimilar to Evita, actually. Although Emilia is most assuredly not married to the despot nor in any danger of becoming a despot herself. She is married to a man who owns a richly veined silver mine.
The political situation is a state of unrest, to put it mildly. In fact, factions are engaged in a revolutionary struggle for dominance over each with the ultimate goal being to overthrow Ribiera who essentially is holding onto power thanks to the existence and reliance upon Gould’s silver. That silver comes under the threat of attack and seizure once Ribiera is actually forced to flee the country and Gould enlists the services of what may well be the most honest personification of integrity in the small nation: Giovanni Battista Fidanza. Clearly, Fidanza is a native to South America: he is, in fact, an Italian seaman.
An Italian seaman who is better known by the name “Nostromo” which means “our man.” Nostromo, the incorruptible! Nostromo the Good and Loyal.
Gould and his man Nostromo have reached the conclusion that the only way from saving the mined silver from falling into the hands of the rebels who may do who knows what with it comes down to moving the mountain from Mohammed. Découd—journalist, cynic and pursuer of Antonia Avellanos—is bought into the deal and he and Nostromo set sail with the silver only to collide in the water with one of the boats of the enemy factions while attempting to reach the much larger European ship which was their destination.
They eventually make their way to a small island off the coast are forced to change their plans significantly: they must bury the impressive booty. Nostromo leaves Découd to guard the silver against potential pillage while he makes his way back to Sulaco to inform Gould of events. Left utterly alone on the island, Découd quickly goes mad and decides to kill himself by weighting his body down with four silver bars.
Meanwhile, back on the mainland Nostromo is overcome with a profound superstitious dread resulting from the death of a woman who has offered him the offices of a priest. An offer which he refused. Endowing this series of events with great meaning, Nostromo becomes convinced it is a foretelling of future failure and a horrific insight into his own future. Upon learning that the general assumption is that the silver was lost at sea, Nostromo is moved to keep the real story quiet so that he can dip into its reserves as necessary.
Gradually, the state of Costaguana begins to settle down and civilize. Nostromo becomes wealth and influential. With and old and trusted friend named Viola appointed to the position of lighthouse keeper on the island on which the silver is buried, he is basically given free rein to steal. Everything seems to be going great guns for just about everybody. In fact, only one problem seems to stand in the way of happiness for all: Nostromo is engaged to Viola’s older daughter Linda, but becomes increasingly infatuated with Linda’s younger sister Giselle.
Ultimately, Nostromo is accidentally shot by Viola who mistakes himself for an intruder. In his death throes, he calls for Emilia Gould. Seeking redemption and last-minute salvation, he attempts to make a full confession, but it impeded from revealing the location of the buried silver by Emilia who is finally revealed to be the only truly incorruptible figure in the story, insisting that the silver be allowed to remain “lost” forever.
