The Turkana live near the shores of a great inland sea, known today as Lake Turkana, whose enticing blue-green water is alkaline and bitter to the taste. Some Turkana fish the shallow waters of the lake, but most live a transitory life, seeking fresh water and grazing for their mixed herds of cattle, sheep, camels, and goats. Families must often split up to increase the chances of survival.

In the rainy season, which lasts from March until early July, the parched earth becomes carpeted with grass dotted with wildflowers and the herds rapidly gain weight. July is the month of plenty and the time when most Turkana ceremonies take place, including male and female rites of passage, marriages, and other communal rituals.

Nigel Pavitt documents these traditions in his fascinating text and more than 220 superb color photographs, which range from women's hut-building activities to healing rituals, from the joyous dance sessions of young men and women to a relaxed tribunal of elders.

He traces the prehistory of the region that has led paleoanthropologists such as Richard Leakey to stunning discoveries, tells of the extraordinary wealth of wildlife that once populated the area, and recounts the history of the colonial period, reporting that the Turkana were never fully subdued.