DUSK ON THE CAMPO: A Journey in...

DUSK ON THE CAMPO: A Journey in Patagonia by Sara Mansfield Taber (Owl: 12.95). Sara Taber spent several years in the wind-raked barrens of southern Argentina, as a biologist studying whales and as a sociologist documenting the lives of its people. A few families eke out an existence herding sheep in this bleak land, but an almost feudal land-holding system severely limits their opportunities. Taber became fascinated by the mechanisms these men and women have developed for dealing with the loneliness and isolation of the region she describes as “an ocean of deprivation.” Although interesting in places, “Dusk” would have benefited from judicious editing, as the text often seems repetitious: Spitted lambs are always “crucified,” everyone refers to children as chicos, etc.