Why a Booktrail?
1935 onwards: Through revealing journals, snapshots of a turbulent era, and private letters, the lives of three generations of women unfold….
In Your Hands
What you need to know before your trail
In the grip of Salazar’s authoritarian regime, upper-class Jenny enters into an uncommon marriage with the beguiling António. Keeping up appearances, they host salons for the political and cultural elite. In private, Jenny, António, and his lover, Pedro, share a guarded triangle, build a profound relationship, and together raise a daughter born under the auspices of rebellion.
Thirty years later, their daughter, Camila, a photojournalist who has captured the revolutionary fervor and tragic loss of her family—and country—reminisces about a long-lost love in Southeast Africa. This memory shapes the future of her daughter, Natália, a successful architect, who begins an impassioned quest of her own.
As she navigates Portugal’s complex past, Natália will discover herself in the two women whose mysteries and intimate intrigues have come to define her.
Travel Guide
Lisbon
This novel takes you right into the heart of Portuguese history, culture and society
Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He was responsible for the Estado Novo, the corporatist authoritarian government that ruled Portugal until 1974.
“With Salazar, whom you so thoroughly despised, you shared a fundamental ability to understand at what point imposing one’s will unsettles the serene order of things”
J”ust writing Salazar’s name, I sense the air roiling with your anger. Later IO hated him as much as you did, especially after what his thugs did to Camila. But blind hatred never does anybody any good.”
“Naturalism is built on acceptance and we end up trapped in a dictatorship before we realise it.”
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
This is the first English-translated work from this particular Portuguese author and I hope it’s the first of many. It’s a story of love, relationships and families against the backdrop of horror and war. There’s many references to “Make Love Not War” and problems of the time explored such as interracial relationships and long lasting marriages. The women in this story each have a story to tell and lines blur between each generation forming an interesting picture of war and endurance.
It’s a character driven novel on a historical stage and very emotional to read.
To tell a story such as this is quite a feat and to have a translator take that story and make it as clear and as lyrical as this is a great achievement.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: In Your Hands
Destination : Portugal, Lisbon Author/Guide: Inês Pedrosa Departure Time: 1935 onwards
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