The Seamstress
I finally finished reading The Seamstress: A Novel by Frances de Pontes Peebles and it is sooooo good.
At 641 pages and covering a period of about 7 years, it's an epic saga reminiscent of Gone with the Wind but set in 1930s Brazil, rather than 1860s America.
It is the story of two sisters whose lives take wildly different paths, but through it all, they are able to maintain a strong connection.
It's a fictional story full of action, adventure, drama, romance, and political intrigue, but it was inspired by real-life stories from the author's Brazilian family, and she skillfully weaves in historical events - including the revolution of 1930, the drought of 1932, women's suffrage in Brazil, and tales of the infamous Cangaceiros - the rural bandits that were the Robin Hoods of their times.
Fascinating characters and a seemingly accurate representation of 1930s Brazil - from the landscape & livelihoods to the fashions & etiquette - makes you feel like you're right there, experiencing it all first hand.
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