I picked this up knowing absolutely nothing about Madagascar's History. It's blown my mind. I'd divide the story in two parts, each with its main theme. The first part focuses a lot on slavery, since one of our protagonists is, indeed, a slave. The second part is heavily focused on the prosecution of Christians by Queen Ranavalona I (there's a glossary and chronology to help you with historical context). We follow this family and their friends, who live in the countryside and lead a peaceful life, about to change. We see the arrival of missionaries and how the community reacts to their teachings. We learn about the culture, the rituals, the sayings, the beliefs of Madagascar in the 19th century, in such an interesting way. It takes a long time to reach the peak of the story, which can get a little tedious, but it's very very worth it. It made me feel so many emotions! But, overall, I really recommend Beyond The Rice Fields. I feel like I've learned so much.