Based on a real event in 1890s Brazil, this historical novel tells of a religious preacher known as the Counselor, who gathers a growing community of poor followers in the backlands of Bahia. Fearing rebellion against the young republic, the authorities send military expeditions against the settlement of Canudos.
The story follows many people on both sides, including believers, soldiers, a journalist and a wandering revolutionary. It examines fanaticism, fear, political manipulation and the cost of conflict, and it is among the author's most ambitious and admired books.