Lost People

Magic and the Legacy of Slavery in Madagascar

Author: David Graeber

An epic account of the power of memory in Madagascar

Betafo, a rural community in central Madagascar, is divided between descendants of nobles and descendants of slaves. Anthropologist David Graeber uncovers the layers of historical, social, and cultural knowledge required to understand a disastrous communal ordeal and elaborates a new view of power, inequality, and the political role of narrative.

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Summary

An epic account of the power of memory in Madagascar

Description

Betafo, a rural community in central Madagascar, is divided between the descendants of nobles and descendants of slaves. Anthropologist David Graeber arrived for fieldwork at the height of tensions attributed to a disastrous communal ordeal two years earlier. As Graeber uncovers the layers of historical, social, and cultural knowledge required to understand this event, he elaborates a new view of power, inequality, and the political role of narrative. Combining theoretical subtlety, a compelling narrative line, and vividly drawn characters, Lost People is a singular contribution to the anthropology of politics and the literature on ethnographic writing.

Critic Reviews

“"What makes Lost People an extraordinary book is its freedom of thought. It is important not because of its position in the next round of anthropological debates but because ofthe graceful eclecticism of the author's perceptual and creative range. One hopes that ethnography built on such foundations will be treasured by anthropology today and tomorrow." -- Yancey Orr, University of Arizona, CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY, Vol. 50.6 Dec. 2009”

"Offers fascinating comparative material with other places where the wound of past injustices continues to fester and destroy... A brilliant weaving together of history and the anthropology of participant observation... The style is limpid, funny, and a delight." Maurice Bloch "The political intrigue makes for a compelling narrative. Committed to showing the power of stories, Graeber is very capable of telling a story of his own... a brilliant study in the classic anthropological tradition..." Michael Lambek

About the Author

David Graeber is Reader in Anthropology at Goldsmiths, University of London. His books include Debt: The First 5000 Years; Direct Action: An Ethnography; and Toward an Anthropological Theory of Value: The False Coin of Our Own Dreams.