In the truest meaning of the term "social studies," Maraini sets out to study and understand the diving women (Ama) of Hekura Island in Japan. The women of the island's villages provide the principal livelihood of their families by diving for shellfish during the summer season when the ocean water is warm enough to endure. This is a delightful insight into a culture which differs from Western norms in multiple ways, and offers us much to learn from.