The Cantora

by Paul D. Cohn

It all began with a rumor--An Indian girl who sang with the voice of an angel. A tiny girl, perhaps only nine years old. No one believed it at first, but the rumor persisted. Finally one day a runner arrived bringing news... And so the journey of the woman and the girl--Sister M�e da Do�ura and Yema, the Caet� Indian child acclaimed as The Cantora--begins to unfold as perilous circumstance compels them to become agents of fate, changing the destinies of all who cross their path.

The setting for The Cantora is coastal Brazil during the early 1500s, in the colonial town of Lu�s, a shipping port for the brutal and lucrative dyewood trade. Many Indians and Africans are enslaved at the port, and the Indians, afflicted with European diseases, are perishing by the hundreds.

A village priest discovers an Indian child with a magical voice, and he allows her to sing the Latin Mass. The regional bishop assigns the girl to Sister Do�ura with the intention of making the child singer a ward of the Church. The child is also treasured by her tribe as a mystical Tuguy Ku�� (Blood Woman).
The bishop summons The Vatican's Consilium de Virtutibus (The Council of Miracles) to certify Yema as a The First True Miracle of The New World, but when an Indian rebellion breaks out, the Council accuses the nun and child of heresy and condemns them to death as Do�ura and Yema are forced to flee for their lives.

Early Praise for Paul Cohn's The Cantora

"If You Enjoyed The Book Thief, You Will Fall In Love With Cantora" --Hailey Zwanzig, Illustrator, Left Hand Tree by Jay Gunter"

"A Lyrically Stunning Novel... A 16th Century Jackie Evancho. 5-Stars!" --Justin Haldeman, Author of the forthcoming novel The Duke's Jubilee

"The Cantora, an utterly transporting reading experience. ...immensely skilled setting and scene building... Brazil during the 1500s--a vivid life for the reader." --Carina Guiterman, Editor, Little, Brown & Company Publishers

"The Cantora, Remarkable Story, Breathtaking In Scope, A Cadre Of Unforgettable Characters" --William T. Goodman, Author of Desert Sundays

"Great historical fiction - enthralling from the first page to the last! 5-Stars"--Barbara Jane Anderson

And From The Cantora

"Yema's voice filled the church, and some felt it filled the world... An ecstasy upon the ear, a vital singing, the honeyed perfume of song." --Page 23, The Cantora

Extraordinary Praise for Book I of The Cantora Series, S�o Tom�

"S�o Tom� A riveting work of historical fiction. ...vivid portrayal and character descriptions. ...powerful, gut-wrenching, heartbreaking and joyous. Impossible to put down." --Michele Jones, The Jewish Chronicle of Pittsburgh

"S�o Tom� (Rapto em Lisboa) ...The ideal historical novel... thorough, persuasive, vivid and uncompromising... A classic of the era." --Paulo Nogueira, EXPRESS (Lisbon)

"Five Stars! Masterful storytelling... A detailed, spellbinding book you should read." -- RedPanda61, iTunes

416 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2018

About the author

Best Book of the Year--Historical Fiction., American Book Fest, August 4, 2018.
In addition to his first novel São Tomé, Paul Cohn is commercially published overseas with the Portuguese edition Rapto em Lisboa by Medialivros/DIFEL in Lisbon. His short stories have appeared in the Huffington Post, The BoZone Monthly, The Big Sky Weekly, and Writers of the Gulch. He authored The Toolbox, a children's adventure radio series (Treehouse Corner), broadcast on KGLT Public Radio in Montana. His short story, São Tomé, won Honorable Mention in Moment Magazine's Karma Short Story Contest He has also been a guest instructor at several adult-education writing classes. His career began in nuclear engineering where he managed projects for Rockwell and Battelle Memorial Institute, and ran his own consulting business, Energy Engineering Associates. Mr. Cohn has a B.S. in chemical engineering, and an M.S. in nuclear engineering, and is the author of over 50 technical papers, journal articles, and book chapters.

Visit with Author Paul Cohn via his website, http://thecantora.com/ , “Contact the Author”
On Facebook http://bit.ly/2pPIG1u
Discover unique personal apparel items featuring a variety of The Cantora images on his website http://thecantora.com/
And connect with Paul Cohn media events via LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/

Reviews

[Barbara Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it hard to put down this page-turner, and returned to it whenever I had some spare time. I was constantly wondering where Cohn's compelling story would take Sister Leah Saulo and Yema, these two well-crafted and unforgettable characters, next. I enjoyed the thought provoking imagery the author employed to transport the reader to the coastal jungle of Brazil, aboard a sailing vessel, and other colorful places.

"The Cantora" kept me interested and eagerly following the duo's travels while also furthering my knowledge about the slave trade and the practices of the Catholic church's inquisition.
The journey starts out in one of the earliest Portuguese settlements, where the two protagonists undertake not only a geographic one that spans three continents, but also one of personal growth and development for both the adult woman and the child prodigy. Sooner or later, both have to decide where in their world they belong…
Lets hope Cohn will treat his readers to a sequel of "The Cantora" since I am in great hopes we haven't heard the end of their story."

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture this: Colonial Brazil and a little Caeté Indian girl who sings the Latin Mass with the voice of an angel. She becomes the darling of the Church clergy, and is hailed as the first True Miracle of the New World. Then a rebellion by the Indians enslaved by the Portuguese in the lucrative and brutal dyewood trade turns this child into a symbol of the rebellion. Now her fame and success become a savage nightmare as she and her mentor, Sister Mãe Doçura, flee into the jungle to escape the Inquisition. After many travails and struggles, and some triumphs -- both in Brazil, and later in North Africa -- they arrive in the Netherlands under the tutelage of a friendly Dutch sea captain. But again the Inquisition catches up with them, and they take flight once more, this time to territories unknown. This novel is impossible to put down. Beautiful writing and fine storytelling. I highly recommend it!

[Nicole Brauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Nomination For Best Jewish Book Of The Year     

I first want to inform readers that I am the cover artist for this novel. Regardless, I admire this fine literary work which will appeal to both Young Adults and Adults. That said, here is my review: In The Cantora, the song of a young Caeté (native Brazilian) girl serves as a catalyst for an historical journey fraught with difficulty and discrimination. The reader is plunged into the early 1500s and carried along as Yema and her protector, a woman called both Doçura the Catholic Nun and Leah Saulo the Portuguese Jew, grapple with the consequences of their marginalized lives in the jungles of Brazil, the variable Atlantic, North Africa, and western Europe, attempting to outrun prejudice and danger. Religious and musical themes thread through the story while Yema's lovely voice guides the reader through an exploration of the complexities of identity and intersecting cultures, and the pain and beauty that lies therein. —Nicole Brauch, Cover Artist - The Cantora