Daba was not destined to live his live in Ouadda, where he was born. When he was still a young boy, he left his beloved home on the first of a series of journeys that would lead him farther and farther away--even to France. For Daba's parents wanted him to be educated, a rare and special privilege not often enjoyed by poor village children....

Batouala centers on the life of the chieftain Batouala, and his attempts to stop a younger man from courting one of his nine wives. It is a series of sketches that show the life of the Bandas including food and celebrations, and describes how they live in a continuous cycle with nature, as the white man tries to take control over nature.