The crooked plough

“The novel can be read as a family tragedy, a social critique, or a study of the specifics of Afro-Brazilian religion.” Leona Šmelcová, Host

Deep in the remote corners of the Brazilian countryside, sisters Bibiana and Belonísia are growing up, the daughters of a midwife and a healer who is also the spiritual father of the local Afro-Brazilian community. One day, they find an old, mysterious knife in a suitcase under their grandmother's bed. A moment of childish recklessness leads to a horrific accident, and the girls' lives become so intertwined that one must lend her voice to the other.

Readers are presented with a compelling novel from the Brazilian interior, where gruelling labour, persistent slave-like manners, and parched earth are the daily hard bread for the two heroines and their relatives. In a masterfully constructed plot, the author ingeniously combines realistic descriptions of distorted circumstances with a melodic, almost fairytale-like narrative about traditional spirituality and family bonds.

Published with the support of the National Library Foundation of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture and the Guimarães Rosa Institute of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.