This work investigates the social structures, cultural practices, and daily life of the Igbo people in Nigeria during the early twentieth century. George T. Basden, an Anglican missionary who lived among the Igbo for many years, provides a detailed ethnographic account of their customs, religious beliefs, and legal systems. His argument centers on documenting a society undergoing rapid transition due to colonial influence, utilizing his unique position as an observer to record traditions before they were significantly altered by external forces.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this text as a foundational, albeit colonial-era, ethnographic record of Igbo culture. Readers often note the descriptive density of the prose, which provides significant insight into pre-colonial and early colonial social dynamics in Southern Nigeria.