RETRATO DE LA PATAGONIA/PORTRAIT OF PATAGONIA

A collection of photographs focuses on a region of Chile.

This debut coffee-table book introduces readers to the Futaleufú River and region through a combination of words and pictures. The photos make up the bulk of the volume, with full-page images showing the landscape, the built environment, and the people who live in the rural area near the river. Introductions at the beginning of each section provide some background information. Interspersed throughout are short, first-person accounts from Futaleufú residents who describe aspects of their lives, from celebrations and agriculture (“Here, we do it all together with everyone helping out. It has always been a communal thing”) to daily activities and hobbies. The region’s dramatic scenery makes for compelling photos, and McGregor’s and Nicks’ images bring it to life. There are pictures of the river, sometimes nestled in the surrounding mountains and at other times saddled with tourists rafting their way through substantial rapids. Local residents display their homes and businesses, show off their riding skills, and share their favorite foods. A few historic photos accompany the brief discussion of the region’s settlement and growth. The photos appear without captions, although the book concludes with a short description of each image. All the text appears in English and Spanish and is well written and informative in both languages. Armchair travelers will appreciate the detailed and vibrant images along with the intimate portraits of life in an isolated but apparently thriving region. The pictures introduce readers to a place where farmers rely on draft animals to work their fields, but they do so without exoticizing the residents, who are clearly part of 21st-century Chile. Through their anecdotes, locals explain how to train oxen (“You start taming them when they are a very young age, around three years”), weave blankets, and make empanadas, and they tell stories of their families’ migrations to the area. The photo descriptions are brief but clear, so readers will not be left wondering what is depicted in the images.

An attractive and informative introduction to a remote area in South America.