Lit in Translation

Ashes of the Amazon

Cinzas do Norte

Milton Hatoum (born 1952)

Translated by John Gledson

English editions

In English

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Lavo narrates, raised by two hard-up uncles near the powerful Mattosos. Mundo is the son of fickle, beautiful Alícia and of Trajano, who dreams of passing on his plantation estate up the Amazon, the place his son loathes. Wanting to be an artist, or simply to escape, Mundo rebels against his father, provincial respectability and finally the generals who take over in 1964 and set about tearing Manaus down. His defiance carries him to Berlin and London in the 1970s, while Lavo, now practising law, never leaves home; two letters, from an uncle and from Mundo, add further versions of the story.

AI-generated summary

About the book

Form
Novel
Length
312 pages in the original
Genres
Coming of age, Politics, Family (assigned by AI)
Set in
Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom, 1950s–1980s
First published
2005 by Companhia das Letras
Author's age
53 when first published
ISBN

9788535906851 (original)

9780747588023 (Bloomsbury, United Kingdom)