In this haunting novel about the enduring bonds of womanhood, a young girl weaves together the truth behind her family history and the secrets that resonate through generations.
“With each page, Alice’s role as the guardian of an important piece of Brazilian folk art, itself a feminist symbol, becomes more clear. Lopes…makes it clear that sisterhood is integral to survival.” ―Booklist
Angélica Lopes is a celebrated script writer, journalist and YA author from Rio de Janeiro, who got her start writing Brazilian soap operas that attracted millions of viewers daily. THE CURSE OF THE FLORES WOMEN is her first adult novel, a beautifully written tale about women activists in the early 1910s in the fictional town of Bom Retiro, Brazil and in modern times in Rio de Janeiro. Foreign rights have already been sold to France, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Portugal, and now with the help of the talented translator, Zoë Perry, Amazon Crossing will publish it for the first time in English on July 1, 2024.
“I wanted to set the fictional story of the lacemakers in a period when the debate around women’s issues and their achievements was just beginning,” Angélica explains. “I also wanted to tell a story about the unity of women in the face of domestic violence. I wanted a story of women coming together, not in conflict or working against each other. I am overjoyed that it will now reach an English speaking audience.”
Eighteen-year-old Alice Ribeiro is constantly fighting―against the status quo, female oppression in Brazil, and even her own mother. But when a family veil is passed down to her, and she discovers it hides a secret coded tale of domestic violence that happened 100 years before, she is compelled to uncover the hidden history of the women in her family while also fighting for the rights of all womankind.
Seven generations ago, the small town of Bom Retiro shunned the Flores women because of a “curse” that rendered them unlucky in love. With no men on the horizon to take care of them, the women learned the art of lacemaking to build lives of their own. But their peace was soon threatened by forces beyond any woman’s control.
As Alice begins piecing together the tapestry that is her history, she discovers revelations about the past, connections to the present, and a resilience in her blood that will carry her toward the future her ancestors strove for. Filled with an eclectic cast of female characters, a colorful setting marked by feuding families and a ruling oligarch, and generational secrets, THE CURSE OF THE FLORES WOMEN is historical fiction at its best.
To celebrate the publication of this new release, we are hosting a virtual book tour with this fantastic lineup of book influencers. We hope you will follow along:
Monday, July 1 – Dive Into A Good Book AND Lauren’s Book Vibes
Tuesday, July 2 – Tomes And Textiles AND Jess N Books
Wednesday, July 3 – Amber Shelf
Thursday, July 4 – Kera’s Always Reading
Friday, July 5 – Linda’s Book Obsession AND Mabel Journals
Sunday, July 7 – Booking With Janelle AND Lit Wit Wine Dine
Monday, July 8 – Armed With a Book
Tuesday, July 9 – Sarah And Her Bookshelves
Wednesday, July 10 – Reading With Nicole
Thursday, July 11 – What’s Better Than A Book
Friday, July 12 – Books With Bethany
Saturday, July 13 – Books and Coffee MX AND Marisol Reads Books
Sunday, July 14 – Purrfect Pages
Monday, July 15 – Angela Reads Books
Tuesday, July 16 – Bathtub Bookworm
Wednesday, July 17 – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie
Thursday, July 18 – Spookish Mommy
Friday, July 19 – Sue The Bookie
Saturday, July 20 – Melann Rosenthal AND Meg’s Book Club
Sunday, July 21 – Subakka Bookstuff
Monday, July 22 – Love My Books 2020
Tuesday, July 23 – Paperbacks N Frybread
Wednesday, July 24 – Bookalong
Thursday, July 25 – Bookapotamus
Friday, July 26 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews AND What Is That Book About
Saturday, July 27 – Bookish Spren
Sunday, July 28 – Secret Reading Life
Monday, July 29 – Book Things With Brit
Tuesday, July 30 – Gloriana Wong
Wednesday, July 31 – We Break For Books
