Stacpoole wrote this third book as a kind of exposé of the despoiling of South Sea Island cultures and people by Europeans.
In The Garden of God, all the Karolin men of warrior age and status have died as the result of an ill-advised attack on Palm Tree and all their war canoes were burned.
He sends for three elderly men, expert canoe builders, from the southern side of the immense island, but the ladies who took his message return without them, saying they do not acknowledge Taori (Dick) as their leader.
Left alone on the southern shore when all the other people from the south side go north to help with the canoe building, Le Moan sees the Kermadec, a schooner full of white men, sail into the lagoon.
Captain Peterson, a rough and ferocious-looking but kindhearted man, takes her aboard and gives her over to Sru, his Paomotuan assistant, to stay with the Kanaka crew until he can find her a place to live on another island.
The Kermadec returns to Karolin, guided by Le Moan, who remains on board as Rantan and Carlin go ashore, shoot a number of the people including two babies, and break up the half-finished canoes.
Le Moan, hearing this, decides to try to keep Dick for herself by steering away from Karolin and pretending she has lost her gift of direction (implying it is the curse of Uta Matu).
Le Moan cannot stand his suffering, gives up, declares that her direction sense has come back, and steers the Kermadec for home.
Aioma, unwisely, takes out his frustration with the papalagi (foreigners) and their ships by boarding this one – full of dead bodies – and setting fire to it.
She believes the curse of Uta Matu, and her own grandmother Le Juan, have brought shame, disgrace, sickness, and death to her people.