Overview

In the tradition of Killers of the Flower Moon, a haunting murder mystery revealing the human story behind one of the most devastating crimes of our time: the ruthless destruction of the Amazon rain forest--and anyone who stands in the way Deep in the heart of the Amazon, the city of Rondon do Par�, Brazil, lived for decades in the shadow of land barons, or fazendeiros, who maintained control of the region through unscrupulous land grabs and egregious human rights violations. They razed and burned the jungle, expelled small-scale farmers and Indigenous tribes from their lands, and treated their farmhands as slaves--all with impunity. The only true opposition came from Rondon's small but robust farmworkers' union, led by the charismatic Dezinho, who fought to put power back into the hands of the people who called the Amazon home. But when Dezinho was assassinated in cold blood, it seemed the farmworkers' struggle had come to a violent and fruitless end. What no one anticipated was that this event would bring forth an unlikely hero: Dezinho's widow. Against great odds, and at extreme personal risk, Maria Joel, now a single mother of four young children, used her ingenuity and unwavering support from union members to bring her husband's killer to account in court. Her campaign gained unexpected momentum, helping to bring international attention to the dire situation in Rondon, from Brazil's president Lula to international celebrities and civil rights groups. Maria Joel's fight for justice had far-reaching implications: it unearthed a chilling world of corruption and lawlessness rooted in Brazil's quest to turn the largest rain forest on earth into an economic frontier. As more details came out, it began to look increasingly likely that Dezinho's killer, a reluctant and inexperienced gunman, was just one piece of a larger criminal consortium, with ties leading all the way up to one of the region's most powerful and notorious fazendeiros of all. Featuring groundbreaking revelations and exclusive interviews, this gripping work of narrative nonfiction is the culmination of journalist Heriberto Araujo's years-long investigation in the heart of the Amazon. Set against the backdrop of appalling deforestation rates and resultant superfires, Masters of the Lost Land vividly reveals the human story behind the loss of--and fierce crusade to protect--one of our greatest resources in the fight against climate change and one of the last wild places on earth. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Full Product Details

9798200857524

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

"Heriberto Ara�jo is journalist based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A grantee of the Pulitzer Center's Rainforest Journalism Fund, Ara�jo reports on Amazonia for the New York Times. He contributed to the NYT's special Sunday section, ""The Amazon Has Seen Our Future"" (October 2020). He previously was a China correspondent for The Times of London and The Telegraph. He has co-written three books on China, all originally published in Spanish. His books have been reviewed by The New York Review of Books, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, The Guardian and Literary Review. Rebecca Mozo is a voice artist and an actress best known for her performances in the films Zerophilia, Headless Horseman, and Pizza Time, as well as roles in such television series as Modern Family and Kittens in a Cage. A two-time Ovation Award nominee, she is a member of the Antaeus Company in North Hollywood, California."

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available