![]() ![]() At every tribulation, ordinary recourse is to superstition, not science. The author convinces us that brutality is commonplace. When there is drought, crops fail, and starvation ensues. Although set at the time of the Wall Street Crash and following Depression years, in rural Pernambuco people are still fettered in a feudal system of allegiance to local colonels. ![]() Much of the richness of the book comes, I think, from authentic detailing provided by the author's research in Brazil. Sometimes I re-read a passage, just to savour the language or contemporary detail again. The writing is powerful and loaded with sensory observation. By comparison with most modern novels, this book requires a concentrated portion of 'Me-Time', not easily accumulated in a busy life. A convincing historical novel gives us an intimate, never-to-be-forgotten view of the period, and this was such a book. ![]() ![]() I actually found myself holding my breath as I swooped through each paragraph, a sense of imminent tragedy settling heavier with each downward turn to their lives. The characters hung around, when I wasn't reading. The story became an integral part of my life for a week or so, and I often found myself on scene in Brazil. The Seamstress was unusually and utterly absorbing. A well-researched and engrossing read, particularly if you, or your book group, like long novels. Summary: In 1928 seamstress sisters divide when rural Brazilian cangaceiros capture Luzia, while her sister marries into polite society. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |