Vaz (
Saudade) pulls from her heritage to write a passionate, poetic Portuguese American journey with a dash of magical realism. Maria and John meet in Portugal in the 1840s as children and are immediately drawn to each other. Maria’s father is a master botanist who has passed on his talents to his daughter, who is also a gifted embroiderer. John’s mother is a religious zealot who puts John in danger for her beliefs. When the two meet again as refugees in a Portuguese enclave in Illinois, Maria’s beauty has captivated a wealthy man, and both she and John have strong political beliefs that lead to them spending time with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln before his presidency. John becomes a beloved teacher for the Deaf, and then fights in the Civil War; Maria marries and tries to find her place in American society. The draw between them never ceases, despite the fates seeming to keep them apart.
VERDICT Overblown writing and an occasionally lagging plot detract from the story. However, this romantic immigrants’ epic novel does capture the depth of the Portuguese experience at a tipping point in American history.
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