This work examines the life and complex legacy of Daisy Bates, a woman who dedicated decades of her life to living among and documenting the cultures of Indigenous Australians. Author Ernestine Hill, a contemporary of Bates, utilizes her personal observations and extensive interviews to construct a portrait of the woman known to the local tribes as 'Kabbarli' (grandmother). The book explores the tension between Bates's self-appointed role as a protector and the colonial attitudes that defined her era, providing a detailed account of her time in the desert camps of South and Western Australia.

The text serves as a significant historical document that captures the perspective of an era defined by colonial intervention and the early efforts to record Indigenous traditions. It is regarded as a foundational, albeit complex, biographical account that requires careful reading to navigate the biases of the time in which it was written.