It tells the history of the Alacalufe people, a largely extinct South American tribe, throughout the centuries.

[2] Elizabeth Marshall Thomas reviewed the book for The New York Times, and wrote that Raspail "seems rather critical of the Kaweskar, calling them seafarers who 'never even invented the sail,' having them perform unlikely, pointless acts (impotently throwing a stone in imitation of a cannonball, for example) and describing their food from a European viewpoint, which certainly makes it seem disgusting."

Marshall Thomas was positive about the author's negative portrayal of Europeans, especially that of Charles Darwin: "Mr. Raspail's portrait of him deserves applause".

Marshall Thomas questioned Raspail's decision to portray an already extinct nation, rather than one at the risk of vanishment: "Yes, the last Kaweskar has gone to heaven, and we're sorry.

"[3] Jack Schmitt wrote in Los Angeles Times: "In two recent works, Bruce Chatwin (The Songlines) and Mario Vargas Llosa (El Hablador (The Speaker) ) convincingly draw the reader into the soul-life, the Earth-bound myths and legends of the Australian Bushmen and the Peruvian Machiguengas, respectively.