Pedra Canga, a small and isolated community in the Brazilian Pantanal, or wetlands, endures amid poverty, myth, and superstition. Dreaming and suffering, the simple townspeople exist in the mystical reality of their private universe. With insight and humor, the novel tells of the ultimate vindication of the humble folk against a powerful and demonic family that has long oppressed them. Filled with magic events, diabolic storms, and visions both frightening and angelical, this is a wonderfully imaginative work.
Tereza Albues was born in the small village of Mato Grosso, Brazil. She has lived in the United States for 16 years. In 1999 she was one of five winners of the Gumarares Rosa short story competition in Paris, sponsored by Radio France International.