This is a truly beautiful portrayal of a fascinating region in South Africa. The Karoo is a vast land of limitless plains, flat-topped mountains and valleys, dry riverbeds and glowing sunsets.

This rugged territory of arid scrubby bushes and hardy trees touched the heart of many brave pioneers who dreamt of a future and a place to call their own.

In this unforgiving environment homes were created, farms established, towns built. This lavish coffee-table book celebrates the history of these people, the geology and ancient fossils, the unique architecture and art, the fortitude needed to carry on living there and the sadness of those that moved on.

Alongside photos of neglect and dereliction are photos of glorious grand homes and awesome landscapes. Obviously an area well loved and explored by the author Patricia Kramer and photographer Alain Proust, one of South Africa’s leading photographers, this book captures the big sky country of the Karoo magnificently.

It is a book to treasure, to keep delving into for sheer pleasure and to share lives of those that went before them – capturing a moment in time.