Through this timeless novel, Henry Biernacki carves images of the steppe (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan), an area often overlooked by travelers. Once Emperio changed his habitual routine, in Paris, of importing art, for one of exploration, he began to alter his life rather than accept destiny. Emperio's appreciative outlook to experiences, without definite outcomes, arises in the novel, and his passion shapes his future. The descriptions become tangible, and the reader feels the sways of the train, touches of the wind, relishes each shared meal, and finally absorbs the steppe. Biernacki reveals the importance of the swiftly fading moments and those enduring lifetimes. "The essence of traveling is not so much discovering the newness of a culture; moreover, and far superior, the discovery becomes a deeper side of the individual, who takes the step to learn."