Seamstress

Full of history, politics, tradition and folk lore, this epic debut novel, The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles is simply a wonderful book! It is the story of two teenage sisters Luzia and Emilia who were raised by their Aunt Sofia in Taquaritinga, a small, poor, back country town in northern Brazil. Emilia is pretty, vivacious and longs to marry and live in the city in a big house with tile floors and running water. Luzia is angry, a tomboy, taunted by the villagers because she has a deformed arm that healed badly after a fall. Their lives take different paths when a band of Cangaceiros, rebel bandits, invade their town and kidnap Luzia, who after a while joins their cause, and eventually becomes their leader. Emilia marries into a family of note, moves to the city and makes her own name in society. Their lives parallel and intertwine in such a fascinating and compelling way you will not want to put this book down!

“[An] engrossing historical saga. . . . The novel’s true beauty is the exquisitely realized relationship between Emilia and Luzia, two strong women who, despite the separate paths their lives take, remain connected and committed to each other.”

“This impressive debut novel seduces with its sweeping story, strong characterization, and extraordinarily vivid detail. A good read-alike for fans of Isabel Allende.”

“THE SEAMSTRESS is a gripping portrait of the lives of two sisters caught in the political unbalance of a country at a crossroads. Bittersweet, beautifully written, this sweeping saga is as impossible to put down as it is to forget.”

Distributor: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 08-05-2008
Pages: 656
Measurements: 9in X 6.125in X 1.46481in X 33.47oz