In 1950 Norton Perina, a young doctor, embarks on an expedition to a remote Micronesian island in search of a rumoured lost tribe. There he encounters a strange group of jungle-dwellers who appear to have attained a form of immortality. Perina uncovers their secret and returns to America, where he soon finds great success. But his discovery has come at a terrible cost, not only for the islanders, but for Perina himself ... Both riveting and unsettling, The People in the Trees explores the various faces of the misuse of power in a profound when cultures collide.