The Curse of the Flores Women

by Angélica Lopes, Zoë Perry (Translator)

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.

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, Alice is compelled to fight for the rights of all womankind while also uncovering the hidden history of the women in her family.

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Brazil, Historical, Feminism, Audiobook, Family

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: An English translation of a Portuguese novel, focussing on a group of lace makers who lives are connected to the Flores curse. Interesting plot, powerful themes, complicated characters. Recommended to literary fiction readers. Check the triggers though.

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Plot Preview:

2010. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Eighteen-year-old Alice is a rebel, fighting the patriarchal society and the female oppression in Brazil. When a relative passes a family heirloom – a lace veil – over to her, she discovers some secrets sewn into it. The secrets come from seven generations ago, in 1918, when a group of women discovered lace-making, and used it to change their lives. They would gather at the Flores house and work, even though the Flores women were shunned by many townspeople for being cursed to be “always unlucky in love.” As Alice learns more about the past, she discovers the strength and the struggles of the women who came before her.
The story comes to us in two timelines, with Alice’s contemporary timeline in her third person perspective, and the historical timeline in the first person pov of Inês, one of the Flores women.

This novel was first published in Portuguese in 2019 as ‘A Maldição das Flores’. This English translation is due to be published on 1st July 2024.

I am not commenting on the translation quality because I have no idea whether the original Portuguese work was converted to English effectively. I didn’t feel like I was reading a translation; that’s a positive, I guess.


Bookish Yays:
😍 The characters in the historical timeline, whether functioning as friends, siblings, employees, parents, daughters, or husbands, are varied and interesting. Not all of them are likeable, which adds to the depth of the story. I especially liked Vitorina, Inês, and little Cândida.

😍 Because of the curse’s supposedly lasting seven generations, we get to see plenty of characters and their stories. Thankfully, not every single generation’s travails are detailed out. Though a test of our memory, keeping track is easy, as the author offers enough clues to help us keep everyone straight.

😍 Both timelines have rebellion and women empowerment as a common theme, with light also being shed on the status quo in Brazil wrt gender equality then and now.

😍 The novel often goes meandering into offshoot subplots related to events in the past or connected to minor characters. All of these mini-stories are interesting, but don't initially appear to be related to the core plot, until you finally see their relevance. This appears to be a common feature of South American writing, so if you already know the genre, you can ready yourself accordingly. I was prepared for the roundabout narration, and I really enjoyed the backstories. So, Yay!

😍 This quote: "The people who benefit from privilege can't see what things are really like."

😍 The author's note about her writing choices and the historical accuracies. Much appreciated!

😍 The stunning cover!


Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 The title isn’t completely accurate as the “curse” is a side plot. The main focus is on Eugênia, but she is a ‘Flores woman” only in the sense that she worked at the Flores house before her marriage. And her story has nothing to do with the titular curse, unless we take it metaphorically. This doesn’t affect the storyline, but if you expect the curse to dominate the plot, you will be disappointed.

😐 I loved the idea of characters involved in lace making, and of using the delicate lace to transfer messages in code, and even of the work’s providing financial independence to women, but I wish there had been more details of the actual lace-making process itself.

😐 There is some blatant foreshadowing, which, while adding well to the shocks and twists, also spoils the reading experience when the event finally occurs on page. One event in particular shouldn’t have been leaked so far in advance.


Bookish Nays:
😕 The book is just 220 pages long (in the Kindle edition; 235 pages in the paperback.) We have three prominent female characters in the historical timeline, one FMC in the contemporary timeline, and seven generations of curse-impact stories. Imagine fitting this all into this length! I rarely ask for books to be longer, but in this case, the novel needed several more pages to fill in the gaps and avoid the hurried feel.

😕 I didn’t get why a first-person voice was used for the historical timeline. There were so many events that Inês wouldn’t have known in such detail about, so seeing her narrate all the happenings so extensively in first person was odd.

😕 The blurb makes the novel appear to be a contemporary story, but the main plot unfolds in the past. The modern-day timeline, though having its little agenda about showing the prevailing male patriarchal thinking in Brazilian society, is primarily a framework to know the historical events. It could still have functioned well if Alice’s character had been well-developed, but her role is quite flat. We know much about what she does, but rarely get to understand the whys of her rebellious nature.


🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 8 hrs 12 mins, is narrated by Dominique Franceschi. She was outstanding! And as good as Frankie Corzo, yet another amazing South American narrator. I loved how Francheschi kept the personalities of the character in mind while narrating their lines. There’s even a distinct difference between how she voices the two timelines, with Alice’s third person sounding peppier than Ines’s first person. I had access to both the digital and the audio copies, but after hearing Francheschi, I kept my digital copy aside and completed this book on audio as she brought the Spanish setting alive with her pronunciation. (So alive that I got the spelling of almost every character name wrong in my review draft! 😶) If you are an audiobook listener, I would strongly recommend the audio version for this book.


All in all, I feel this novel would have worked even better had it focussed only on the historical events, and extended the character arcs with more depth. Despite this, it is still a powerful story about how women in historical Brazil, despite societal constraints, followed their own acts of rebellion against those suppressing their voices.

Definitely recommended if you are looking for a quick OwnVoices work with some strong feminist themes and set in Brazil.

3.75 stars.


My thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Crossing for the DRC, and Brilliance Audio for the ALC of “The Curse of the Flores Women”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Content warning: Domestic assault, sexual assault, death, gender discrimination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid concept, ineffective execution. Loved the idea of a group of young lace makers developing a secret code to send messages to a friend in an arranged marriage. That said, this covers seven generations of women in 235 pages. I think it can be challenging to bring that many characters to life in so few pages, and the struggle showed. I often felt like I was reading a list of names for which I had no reference points or connection. The longer I read, the more confused and detached I became. The modern timeline was unnecessary, as was the nonsense about the curse. Would have preferred the time be spent on the plight of these young women trying to save their friend. Had we spent more time with the characters, become invested in their relationships, experienced their hardships first hand, etc, this could have been very emotionally impactful. Sadly, that wasn't the case for me. My overarching experience was bored, not invested, and confused.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was always an act of rebellion, albeit invisible.”

What a fantastic first line! I was already wondering what the act of rebellion was and why it was necessary to keep it hidden.

I usually don’t reach for a translated book, but the beautiful cover and the cultural aspect called out to me. I was intrigued by a skill (lacemaking) that I know nothing about and the setting (Brazil in early 1900s) that I know next to nothing about. I saw this book as a learning experience - and indeed it was!

The first thing I noticed was the flow of the story. I wasn’t expecting this from a translated book! I was immediately engaged. Author Angelica Lopes swept me away with her story featuring the Flores women and the terrible curse they’ve endured for the past 7 generations. Lacemaking has been a craft these women had to learn to survive. The curse made sure that they were unable to rely on anyone else to support them.

I think the 2010 timeline with Alice and the heirloom was the perfect segue into this feature story about her ancestors. Not only that, each timeline was equally interesting and spotlighted the struggles of the era, the bonds of friendship and the political pull of oppression, activism and feminism. The interconnection as a result of their craft was inspiring - strong, courageous women united by the art of transforming thread and woven tape into lace!

The Flores women each told their story through either how they think, how they see, or how they act. Lopes explores feminism from the narrator’s (Ines Flores) point of view. We get to see how Ines thinks and deliberates. The main story is focused on the Sheriff’s daughter, Eugenia. Readers get to know about this time in history through what Eugenia sees. She has a dream. Finally, Vitorina is the ‘doer’ and readers get to see her outlook on their shared history through her actions. My eyes were opened to things I’d never considered; the ripple effects from feuding families, the fear of the Coronelismo and the Cangaco. This story showcased some very clever plotting!

The lace coding was fascinating and I think this book will be forefront in my thoughts each time I hear a bird call this Spring! I equally loved the thought about us being “keepers of knowledge” as a legacy for the future as I loved the concept of there being resilience in Anna’s blood. I finished, satisfied that what her ancestors had struggled with was the very thing that would provide for Alice’s future.

I recommend this fascinating book, featuring secrets shared between the generations and the bonds of family and friendship.

I was gifted this copy by Amazon Crossing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Come Musica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho scoperto di avere una predilezione per i romanzi storici. In questo romanzo ambientato nei primi anni del Novecento in un paesino del nord del Brasile.

Al centro del romanzo, la condizione femminile dei primi del novecento: le donne sono relegate a sposarsi e fare figli; non possono scegliere chi sposare. Questo è un compito che spetta ai genitori.

Ma in questo paesino le Flores si riuniscono per ricamare e tra di loro c’è anche Eugênia, dal carattere forte e dalla mente brillante, che inventa un codice per comunicare, usando i punti del ricamo.

Veli, tovaglie, centritavola, diventano così pagine su cui scrivere messaggi che solo in poche possono decifrare, per non correre pericoli.

E dopo cento anni, una discendente delle Flores, Alice, porterà alla luce questa storia che, per la ritrosia della nonna e della bisnonna, è rimasta chiusa nel baule dei loro cuori: la storia di un brutale femminicidio che non può più essere taciuto. Una storia di coraggio, di solidarietà femminile, di amicizia, di indipendenza.

Scrive l’autrice alla fine

“La mia intenzione era quella di ambientare la storia inventata delle merlettaie in un periodo in cui iniziavano il dibattito e le prime conquiste femminili in Brasile. Dall’inizio del XX secolo, nelle capitali del paese, compresa Recife, emersero diversi movimenti di lotta per i diritti delle donne, che crebbero poi nel decennio del 1920. Nel 1916 fu approvato il disegno di legge che consentiva, in alcuni casi, l’allontanamento e la separazione fisica. Tuttavia, il divorzio fu legalizzato solo nel 1977.
Nel frattempo, nell’entroterra del Pernambuco, e più precisamente nel Vale do Rio Pajeú, regione segnata da faide tra famiglie e dal coronelismo, cominciava un periodo di grande violenza a causa dell’emergere del cangaço, mentre allo stesso tempo si osservava un afflato progressista nella classe media locale. Questa aspirazione ha come simbolo la costruzione dell’elegante Cine Teatro Guarany, a Triunfo, inaugurato nel 1922. L’immaginaria Bom Retiro simboleggia proprio questa dicotomia. Ritardo e cultura, brutalità e delicatezza, maschile e femminile, polvere e pizzo.
Quasi cent’anni dopo, nel 2010, il personaggio relativo ai giorni nostri, Alice, pratica un altro tipo di attivismo, più focalizzato sui cambiamenti sociali e culturali che non sulle conquiste legislative, sempre necessarie. Anche altre figure e informazioni inserite nel libro, come Dona Maria Amélia de Queirós e l’associazione Ave Libertas (inaugurata nel 1884) sono reali, sebbene nel testo siano state completamente romanzate. In entrambi i casi, ci sono anche lievi incongruenze temporali (per esempio, non ci sono conferme che il gruppo sia stato attivo fino al 1918, e non è nemmeno nota la data della morte di Maria Amélia). Tuttavia, ho mantenuto questi elementi perché ho pensato che potessero arricchire la narrazione e perché rientravano nel periodo che volevo ricreare.”

[Aleksandra Gratka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lubię opowieści rozpisane na lata. Losy pokoleń, które przeplatają się jak nitki w rękach koronczarek. Gdy jeszcze osią historii są kobiety i siostrzeństwo - wiem, że to powieść dla mnie.
Angélica Lopes zabiera nas do małego brazylijskiego miasteczka. Aranżowane małżeństwa, rodzinne zależności, zniewolone kobiety. Rodzina Flores, w której nie ma szans na spełnioną miłość, bo klątwa rzucona przez skrzywdzoną Cygankę ma sięgać do siódmego pokolenia. "Mężczyźni będą w naszym życiu zawsze tylko gośćmi", mówi jedna z panien Flores - i niestety ma rację.
Podsłuchany sekret mniszek daje kobietom z Bom Retiro niezwykły fach w rękach. Tkają piękne koronki, które oprócz źródła utrzymania, stają się też sekretnym kodem, możliwością porozumienia się bez wiedzy mężczyzn. Bo mężczyźni rządzą światem i robią to źle, więc kobiety muszą dać sobie jakoś radę. Istotnym wątkiem jest pomoc Eugênii, nieszczęsnej dziewczynie, 15-latce wydanej za mąż za potwora, która chce zawalczyć o wolność. Jak to się skończy? Trzeba przeczytać.
Opowieść sięga współczesności. Haftowane cudo otrzymuje w prezencie dziewczyna z siódmego pokolenia rodziny Flores - i ten podarek znacznie wpływa na jej życie.
Podobała mi się ta powieść o kobietach, które nie chcą być ofiarami patriarchatu. O kobietach, które się wspierają, które są dla siebie przyjaciółkami i które są gotowe na najwyższe poświęcenie. Autorka dowodzi, że siostrzeństwo to wielka wartość, którą trzeba pielęgnować.

[Liliane Furtado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eu já sabia que amaria o livro, por causa do que as amigas do clube de leitura mais maravilhoso do universo falaram, mas fiquei muito apegada. As minhas últimas leituras foram assim, fiquei apegada com os personagens, com a escrita.
Ganhei o livro de presente (de duas mulheres incríveis do clube de leitura) e a "dedicatória" virtual foi a seguinte: 'o livro fala sobre amizade feminina, então nada mais justo que suas amigas te ajudarem também'.

Sigo emocionada com essa obra tão sublime e potente!

[Inês | Livros e Papel · Rating 4 out of 5]

opinião aqui: https://www.instagram.com/p/C-AK2JLMG...

[Rude Kadry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zabrakło mi słów, by opisać swój zachwyt nad "Koronczarkami" autorstwa Angeliki Lopes - majstersztyk! Niezwykle kobieca powieść, o kobietach, dla kobiet, od kobiety. Lopes oddaje głos dziewczętom z małego brazylijskiego miasteczka - oddaje im głos, który przez wieki był im odbierany przez mężczyzn. Nadaje im prawo do życia, do miłości, do decydowania o sobie... a wszystko to zaczęło się od koronek.

Fabuła jest prowadzona dwutorowo, a obie jej warstwy splatają się ze sobą jak misterna, delikatna koronka spod rąk koronczarek z Bom Retiro. To tam dochodzi do aktu buntu, to tam osobliwy ścieg staje się najlepiej strzeżonym sekretem, który w głowie porównywałam do kodów Enigmy. To tam rozgrywa się tragedia młodej dziewczyny, wydanej za mąż za obcego mężczyznę. To tam rozpoczęła się burzliwa historia kobiet z rodu Flores obarczonego klątwą... Współczesne fragmenty powieści są klamrą spinającą historię, jej uzupełnieniem, przełamaniem przekleństwa.

Z łatwością weszłam w świat wykreowany przez autorkę. Zanurzyłam się w nim bez reszty, zachłysnęłam się atmosferą, czułam się jak poboczny świadek rozgrywanych wydarzeń. Z uwagą obserwowałam poczynania bohaterów - głośno kibicowałam Eugenii, podśmiewałam się z sympatią z pewności siebie Vitoriny, bacznie analizowałam u boku Ines. Przyjaźń, która wyrosła między bohaterkami, stanowi fundament tej powieści. Ta więź stała się ich tarczą przed brutalnością świata zewnętrznego, dając im siłę i wsparcie, które pozwalały przetrwać najtrudniejsze chwile. Relacja Ines z jej przyjaciółką, z którą tworzyła koronkowy kod, jest przejmującym świadectwem mocy solidarności i wzajemnego wsparcia.

"Koronczarki" to opowieść o kobiecej sile w świecie zdominowanym przez mężczyzn. Miały pięknie się prezentować, nie przynosić wstydu mężowi, oddawać mu się na skinienie ręki, rodzić słodkie maleństwa. Ale gdzie są w tym wszystkim ich pragnienia? Marzenia? Wolność? Lopes, oddając głos swoim bohaterkom, otworzyła przed czytelnikami swoje serce, podkreślając, jak te podstawowe prawa człowieka tak często nie dotyczyły płci pięknej. Dziewczęta miały odgrywać z góry określoną rolę, a każda namiastka buntu była tłumiona w zarodku. I podobnie jak autorka, czułam wewnętrzny protest przed tymi "prawami mężczyzn".

Fanatyzm religijny, symbolizowany przez postać Firminy, żarliwej katoliczki, jest ukazany jako siła destrukcyjna, prowadząca do zguby. Jej skrajna pobożność i bezwzględne trzymanie się religijnych dogmatów pokazują, jak religia może stać się narzędziem opresji, tłumiąc wolność jednostki i prowadząc do nieszczęścia.

"Koronczarki" to jedna z piękniejszych powieści, jaką przeczytałam w tym roku. Rozbudowana, prowadzona dwutorowo, wielowątkowa fabuła oraz wyraziste bohaterki stłamszone i poniewierane, a w tle tego wszystkiego rodzinna klątwa... Misternie skrojona saga, niezwykle kobieca powieść, okraszona głębokim smutkiem, żalem i cierpieniem - to książka, którą po prostu trzeba przeczytać.

[Traveljunkie331 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for cultural novels so this was right up my alley. The book brings to light topics such as female oppression, feminism and the long lasting bond of friendship.

It goes back in forth in time. The year is 1918 and the Flores women have been cursed for seven generations. They are not lucky in love and any man that comes into their lives, dies. In order to survive and fend for themselves, they learn the art of lacemaking and become the most popular lace makers in Brazil.

Eugenia is one of the lacemakers who is in an arranged marriage and hates it. Soon after the wedding, she starts planning her escape. She starts a new tradition where she writes messages on the lace she stitches by using a code. This will ensure safe communicating between her and her friends without getting caught by her husband.

The year is 2010. Alice is an 18 years old feminist that inherits a family heirloom – a veil which contains a story stitched in code. She cracks the code and is immediately drawn to her family’s history. She begins to ask questions about her roots. She visits the town where her great great grandmother lived and meets one of the original lacemakers who reveals how her ancestors made their voices heard through their lacemaking.

I give the book 5 stars because it was beautifully written and I loved the story line. The title, however, is a little misleading. I was expecting to learn more about the curse and the Flores women but the bulk of the book was Eugenia’s story. Regardless of that, I enjoyed it very much.

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book employs a dual timeline to tell the story of the Flores (originally Oliveira) family through multiple generations. According to legend, the family is cursed - all the men die young, leaving the women to fend for themselves. The older timeline (1910s) is set in the Brazilian town of Bom Retiro, where a group of women have learned the art of lacemaking to earn meager income. Against her wishes, fifteen-year-old Eugênia is forced to marry an older man. She starts hiding coded messages in her lacework, basically crying for help through her stitches. Her friend Inês narrates the historical timeline. She is trying to help Eugênia escape her awful situation. In the modern timeline (2010s), Alice Ribeiro receives a family heirloom – a veil made of lace. She discovers cryptic writings that appear to be a code and ends up piecing together what happened to her ancestors.

I read the English translation by Zoë Perry, and it flows well. Themes include the difficulties faced by women in a patriarchal society and female solidarity in resisting society’s limitations. It explores women's legal rights in during a time when divorce was unlawful in Brazil, as well as modern issues of domestic abuse. As is typical in dual timelines, one appealed more than the other, and in this case, I found the historical story more compelling. I particularly enjoyed the historic information about lacemaking in Brazil. It occasionally veers into melodrama, and while Alice's story is fine, it does not have the same impact as what happens to Eugênia and Inês. Overall, it's a solid read about women finding ways to survive and resist, even when the odds are stacked against them.

3.5

[artmy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wspaniała, niesamowicie ważna ale jednocześnie ogromnie smutna.

[CAROLYN Wyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

fast paced heartwarming historical fiction
The Curse of The Flores Women by Angelica Lopes

The Curse of the Flores Women is a multiple timeline and multiple perspective novel, switching back and forth between the past and the present. This isn’t a romance, but more of a journey of a group of women, fighting against the rules of that time period. The book occurs during a time, when women were nothing more than property . They had little to no rights, and could own very little, often not having a say in who they married. Upon marriage, all of their holdings became the property of their husband. The women made lace objects, and as the husbands considered this a hobby, they were able to have money that the men weren’t aware of, except of course for the Flores Women, who had no men due to their curse. Most of the book occurs in a small town called Bom Retiro. In Bom Retiri is the Flores women, who are rumored to be cursed, cursed to lose love and the men they care about. In the present, Alice Ribeiro, the youngest living Flores woman, has been given the family veil, skipping her mother as she is not the youngest. the veil is the key to discovering her family’s history and secrets. The lace hides a secret language, and as she discovers these secrets, she wants to learn more about her ancestors, something until then has not been important to her. This book is a fascinating mix of modern contemporary fiction and historical fiction.

I loved the way the lace makers created a secret language, giving them a means of communication others overlooked. It makes me think of the code breakers from World War One and World War Two. I enjoyed the characters, coming to really enjoy the way they cared for each other. This was a fast, enjoyable story. If you like historical fiction, then you will like this beautiful story.
This book will quickly immerse you in it, making you need to discover what will happen next. The Curse of the Flores women is a great fictional story that is definitely worth reading. I look forward to more books by this author.

[Adriana Moretti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellissima saga familiare. Ambientata in Brasile nel 1918. Una storia nella storia. Una scrittura scorrevole ma con una trama intricata come un ricamo, lavorato dalle ragazze della famiglia Flores e anche da altre ragazze , tra le quali Eugenia, amiche di Ines Flores. Eugenia, costretta ad una matrimonio forzato, si inventerà un nuovo ricamo , un codice, per comunicare alla sua amica le sue sofferenze. Un velo che arriva ai giorni nostri ad una nipote che scoprirà la sua storia. Diversi i temi affrontati: la condizione della donna che ancora oggi purtroppo in molti paesi del mondo non viene rispettata, al contrario viene considerata la stregua di un oggetto atta solo alla procreazione e troppe volte vittima di uomini che la uccidono in nome di un amore malato e perverso. Emblematico risulta anche il significato salvifico dell’arte del ricamo vista come unica via di comunicazione e come liberazione dalle angosce e slancio vitale, ci si sofferma poi sul valore dell’indipendenza che si capisce solo passando attraverso la morte.
Molto bello e appassionante
Per me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[M João (Livros?gosto)]

Opinião no canal:

https://youtu.be/WTmNc3axeC0

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 de 10*

Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...

[Amanda Sola · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good generational novel of a family of women in Brazil. The family has a "curse" where all of the men die young so the women are left to take care of and raise the families. The women experience a lot of heartache, including the central story of an abusive husband. I don't feel like the book gave us anything new or groundbreaking, it was a lot of already told stories in one book. I will say that the lace part was interesting though so I appreciated that.

[Zaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un roman à double temporalité, qui nous emmène au Brésil, et nous parle de féminisme, de sororité et de transmission, à travers les destins croisés des femmes Flores et de certaines de leurs amies.
Un roman réaliste mais cruel, qui aurait pour moi gagné à être étoffé pour la partie "présent" du récit, et dont la plume m'a quelque peu surprise par sa simplicité.

[Emily Oudman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I loved this novel. The first chapter or so started slow for me, but I was hooked after that. I enjoyed the dual timeline that this story unfolds in. It occurred just frequent enough to where the story maintained its characters, their development, and my interest. As in, I didn’t feel all over the place with the story since it was told in two different timelines.

This was a unique story based upon real events happening in the world around that time. The independence of women for example. This book provided a great story, developed characters, and the importance of strong bonds between women trying to forge their own path. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

New fave alert! I always struggle to write reviews for books that I really love- I know when a book has truly touched me, that I'll think of it often, and recommend it- and this novel is exactly that. An engrossing and affecting novel, seamlessly weaving together a historical and a modern timeline (something I usually don't enjoy, however the dual timeline was established wonderfully here). The Curse of the Flores Women was a story of female struggle and demonstrated generations of women fighting against the expectations placed on them by marriage and the limitations of their small town. And lacemaking! I'll always enjoy a book in which I can learn a little about an activity that interests me and I know little about. 6/5 stars.

[Hary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conheci o livro através da Mell Ferraz, do Literature-se, fiquei hiper curiosa já pela sinopse e ele ficou um bom tempo na minha wishlist. Mais tarde, a Pam Gonçalves estava mostrando outro livro pelo insta no KU e na biblioteca dela tinha esse, peguei no KU na hora, sem nem piscar. QUE DECISÃO ACERTADA.

Li em duas sentadas, não consegui ler mais nada, que narrativa incrível, de tirar o fôlego. Só o tema por si só já é extremamente interessante, a escrita de Angélica é fluida, sem perder em beleza de construção. Todas as personagens são complexas e extremamente críveis, em suas características, angústias e na forma de lidar com a sociedade. Ao mesmo tempo em que vemos o quanto a luta das mulheres avançou, também vemos que muitas questões persistem, porque fazem parte da formação da nossa sociedade mesmo, por isso nossa luta continua.

Chorei, fiquei feliz, tensa, o final tem gosto agridoce, porque enfim, há ganhos e perdas na vida, mas não consigo imaginar outro final, a história cresceu de uma forma incrível.

Vou recomendar muito esse livro ainda.

[Professor P · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a book that is a blend of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and modern feminist thought, this is a lovely read.

I loved the beginning of the novel. I thought the curse was beautifully introduced and the story behind its origins intriguing. The writing was lyrical and haunting.

I wished that the main character, Ines, had been a little more fleshed out. I felt like we got few of her feelings as the story focused more on action than thought.

But what action it is! I read this book relatively quickly simply because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Eugenia and Ines next! The pacing (except for the slightly lengthy ending) was perfect.

Overall, a good read!

4 stars

[Aline Harumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu amei a história desse livro, a forma como fala das lutas femininas e injustiças, e como conseguiu conectar as gerações passadas com a presente, na qual, apesar de já se terem sido conquistados vários avanços, ainda as mulheres passam por tantos sofrimentos e dificuldades apenas pelo fato de serem mulheres.
Um ponto desse livro que não gostei tanto foi a escrita; não que seja ruim, achei bem fluída e fácil de entender, porém não tem nenhum traço marcante - sendo uma história tão forte, acho que uma escrita com mais personalidade combinaria bastante.

[Lu Iza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindo o livro 🧡

[Thaise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que grata supresa! ♥️

[Guilherme Kawachi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse livro. Meu Deus. Leria mais 1000 páginas. Até agora sem palavras. Leiam!

[Elif · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice, annesiyle birlikte Brezilya’nın Rio de Janerio kentinde yaşamaktadır. Toplumda kadınları ikinci planda gören düzene ve annesinin baskıcı tutumuna karşı sürdürdüğü özgürlük mücadelesinde kendini yalnız hissetmektedir. Ta ki, atalarından miras kalan bir dantel duvak, ailesindeki kadınların gizli tarihini keşfetme yolunu açana kadar. Yedi kuşak önce, küçük bir kasaba olan Bom Retiro’da yaşayan Floresler, ailedeki erkeklerin erken ölmesi yüzünden kasaba halkı tarafından “lanetli” olarak görülmekte ve dışlanmaktadır. Flores kadınları dantel sanatını öğrenerek kendi ayakları üzerinde durmayı ve erkeklere gerek duymadan yaşamlarını sürdürmeyi başarırlar. Ancak kurdukları huzurlu hayat kısa sürede bozulunca, yine dantel sanatı imdada yetişecek, örgülerle oluşturdukları şifre onları özgürlüğe taşıyan yolu açacaktır.

Konu her şeyi özetler nitelikte aslında. Ördükleri dantelden oluşturdukları şifreyle erkek baskısına baş kaldıran kadınlar. Flores kadınları tesadüfen karşılaştığım, konusuna bakınca okumaya karar verdiğim, beni pişman etmeyen bir kitap oldu. 1900’ler ve 2010 yılları arasında nesiller boyu süregelen bir zanaat, yıllara yayılan sırlar, dönemin zorlukları, nüktedan dostluk bağları, aile dinamikleri feminist bir bakış açısıyla sunulmuş. Kadınlar arasında aktarılan dantel kodlaması şeytanın bile aklına gelmeyecek türden. 1910’da bir oya işliyorsun, 2010’da şifreli mesajın sahibine ulaşıyor. En çok hoşuma giden de bu oldu. Asla ama asla kadınların zekasını hafife almayın. :) Tarihi ve modern kurgunun karışımı, içinizi ısıtacak, samimi ve kültürel bir roman.

[Sarah Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieser historisch fiktionale Roman aus Brasilien hat mich mit seinen starken weiblichen Protagonistinnen nachdenklich gemacht. Ein Text, der die große Frage aufwirft inwieweit auch heute noch patriarchales und konservatives Gedankengut die Frauen unterdrückt und er erzählt die Anfänge der brasilianischen Frauenrechtsbewegung und der historisch verbrieften Untergrundorganisation Ave Libertas.
Der Roman zeigt dass selbst in der harmlos aussehenden, mit gebeugter Körperhaltung und gesenktem Kopf durchgeführten Spitzenstickerei eine große Macht steckt - eingewebt als Code!
In einfacher Sprache, die manchmal etwas ungelenk erschien, hat die Autorin aber dennoch eines geschafft: zu zeigen, dass der Kampf für die Rechte der Frauen hart war, viele traurige Geschichten erzählt und vor allem: immer noch weiter geht!

[marxiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

minha review aqui vai ser especial pq esse livro é sinônimo de várias descobertas e de uma semana intensa. li ele sempre pensando na tradução então não aproveitei tanto quanto uma leitura tranquila de romance de férias. achei os temas abordados ótimos e gostei muito disso tudo acontecer no sertão, como a angélica bem disse, a região não é tanto mise en avant e ficamos muito felizes do livro ter pego tão rápido no internacional.
ontem foi o último dia da julia intérprete, pude conhecer um monte de gente da Seuil e isso foi bizarro de incrível. pra sempre no meu coração a Laure que foi super rassurante e querida no período todo e tá me permitindo manter o link com a seuil. genuinamente muito feliz de ter tido essa entrada no mundo da edição e da tradução, abrindo muitas portas! bro fui parar na rfi whatislife
já decidi que eu vou ter dois trabalhos na vida e um deles vai ser a tradução. :)))))))
e claro um grande abraço à Angélica que tive o maior prazer de conhecer, foi uma querida comigo do começo ao fim. conseguimos achar nosso esquema pra tradução dar certo e ela foi super atenciosa. muito feliz da minha primeira experiência de intérprete ter sido com ela <3

[Rebecca]

Amazon Kindle First Reads - June 2024

[Mylena Sobral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comecei esse livro sem saber absolutamente nada e foi a surpresa mais linda e dolorida que eu podia ter esse ano.

"As rendeiras de sua família haviam conseguido se defender com palavras certas, numa época em que as mulheres não tinham voz".