A Caribbean island immediately after the declaration of independence. This island, under neo-colonial exploitation, lives in a poverty that is very close to destitution. Popular uprisings against the new bourgeoisie are swiftly suppressed. The rebels are demobilized.

Naipaul, the author, belongs to an Indian family that has been settled in the Antilles for a long time. With this work, set against a backdrop reminiscent of his childhood, he allows us to experience the very same situation.

The characters, with whom he has shared hopes and disappointments, impose themselves with their raw authenticity and strong presence. Just as intensely present are the city, the plantations, the thickets, the heavy and humid heat, the glow from the fires lit by the rebellious, as well as the strange sparkle from the bougainvilleas in this deserted garden where, after a scene of great violence, a brutal crime takes place, almost ritualistic.