In search of the jagua fruit, author Carine Fabius takes readers on a journey into the deepest realms of the Amazon jungle, where a prized tattoo ink weaves magical tales into the heart and culture of the region's indigenous people.
Written in a breezy, engaging style, the book includes:
- 40 pages of gorgeous color photographs, including contributions by noted documentary photographer and travel writer Cristina Mittermeier
- Over 25 black & white photographs and illustrations
- The author's personal account of her and her artist/explorer husband's journey into the world of temporary body art, beginning with henna and culminating with the discovery of the jagua fruit's promise to deliver a beautiful tattoo that looks real - yet fades after two weeks
- Excerpts from her husband Pascal Giacomini's diary as he travels on a motorized dugout canoe into the deepest reaches of the jungle, where he spends weeks with an indigenous group called the Matsés
- Brief histories of various indigenous groups associated with jagua
- Personal and insightful essays by veteran explorers and lovers of the Amazon
- Information on the medicinal and mystical properties of the jagua fruit
- Magical tales and beliefs surrounding this extraordinary fruit
- A short history of tattoos
- A short history of ink
- Frequently asked questions (and answers, of course!) about jagua tattoos
- Overview of the Amazon, the Indians that populate the area, and issues that currently dominate throughout the region
- Traditional tales from the Amazon