When We Sold God's Eye

Diamonds, Murder and a Clash of Worlds in the Amazon

By: Alex Cuadros

Narrated by: Alex Cuadros

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

'A first-class work of reporting [and] a work of compassion for Indigenous peoples everywhere' BENJAMIN MOSER, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of SONTAG

'A non-fiction novel of modern conquest, capitalism and murder . . . a stunning work' GREG GRANDIN, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of FORDLANDIA

Growing up in a remote corner of the Amazon, Pio, Maria, and Oita learned to hunt wild pigs and tapirs, gathering Brazil nuts and açaí berries from centuries-old trees. Then the first highway pierced through. Loggers and prospectors invaded, and they lost their families to terrible new weapons and diseases. Pushed to assimilate, they struggled to understand their new, capitalist reality. They ended up forging an uneasy symbiosis with their white antagonists - until a seam of diamonds erupted in their territory and decades of suppressed trauma burst out in a shocking act of retribution.

Based on six years of immersive reporting and research, WHEN WE SOLD GOD'S EYE tells a unique kind of adventure story, a story of survival against all odds; of the temptations of wealth and the dream of prosperity; of a vital ecosystem threatened by the hunger for natural resources; of genocide and revenge. It's a story as old as the first European encounters with Indigenous people, playing out in the present day. But most of all, it's about a few startlingly clever individuals and their power to adapt - even thrive - in the most unlikely circumstances.

©2024 Alex Cuadros (P)2024 Orion Publishing Group Limited

Critic reviews

'An essential story, built on deep and empathetic reportage. A hugely impressive piece of work' (Sophie Elmhirst, author of MAURICE AND MARALYN)

'In the annals of destruction of the world's wildernesses and their indigenous peoples, WHEN WE SOLD GOD'S EYE deserves widespread attention, and seems destined to become a modern classic of literary nonfiction' (Jon Lee Anderson, author)

'Truly remarkable reporting, opening a window into one of the planet's most important places, and the people who live out their lives amidst its riches. It will complicate your view of the world, which is usually a useful thing' (Bill McKibben, author)