They call themselves Captains of the Sands, a gang of orphans and runaways who live by their wits and daring in the torrid slums and sleazy back alleys of Bahia. Led by fifteen-year-old Bullet, the band - including a crafty liar named Legless, the intellectual Professor, and the sexually precocious Cat - pulls off heists and escapades against the privileged of Brazil. But when a public outcry demands the capture of the little criminals, the fate of these children becomes a poignant, intensely moving drama of love and freedom in a shackled land. Captains of the Sands captures the rich culture, vivid emotions, and wild landscape of Bahia with penetrating authenticity and brilliantly displays the genius of Brazils most acclaimed author.