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Flesh and Bone and Water
Brazilian-born doctor André Cabral is living in London when one day he receives a letter from his home country, which he left nearly thirty years ago. A letter he keeps in his pocket for weeks, but tells no one about. The letter prompts André to remember the days of his youth - torrid afternoons on Ipanema beach with his listless teenage friends, parties in elegant Rio apartments, his after-school job at his father's plastic surgery practice - and, above all, his secret infatuation with the daughter of his family's maid, the intoxicating Luana. Unable to resist the pull of the letter, André embarks on a journey back to Brazil to rediscover his past.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2017
24 people are currently reading
2174 people want to read
About the author
Luiza Sauma
5 books143 followersLuiza Sauma was born in Rio de Janeiro and grew up in London, where she still lives. She is the author of two novels, Flesh and Bone and Water and Everything You Ever Wanted. The latter was shortlisted for the Encore Award and recommended by Florence Welch's book club, Between Two Books. Luiza's writing has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, and published in the Guardian, the Telegraph, the Independent and others. She has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, where she won the Pat Kavanagh Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
March 13, 2017
This is a short novella that looks at the life of Brazilian GP, Dr Andre Cabral, in the present in 2013 London and a letter that triggers memories and regrets of his 17 year old self in 1980s Brazil. He left Brazil almost 30 years ago and never returned. It could be viewed as a coming of age novel for a young man who had lost his mother in a car accident and whose plastic surgeon father was a cold and distant figure for whom he worked after school. For him, he confidently expects the world to open up and embrace him and all lies at his feet, he can be all that he wants to be. He comes from an affluent background and he is white. He parties, has similar teenage friends who are bored and lie on the pure white beaches expecting to be entertained and are careless of others.
However, Andre is obsessed with and in lust with Luana, the daughter of Rita, the black family maid. Family secrets and what happens next is to haunt him through the years and have repercussions he does not expect. The middle aged Andre is a more developed, careful and introspective man. The letter he receives from Luana has him withdrawing from his family, placing it in jeopardy. He gets another letter that has him on a journey into his past. The novel moves back and forth in time between two shattering times of his life. There is a technicolor vibrancy associated with Brazil and Andre's memories of his youth there whilst London is leached of colour, grey and introspective. The language is beautiful, and made reading this a joy. This is a tale of race, class and the power that resides in being male. It is about memories, and the carelessness with which the young can treat others. It is a story of passion and tragedy. Thanks to Scribner for an ARC.
However, Andre is obsessed with and in lust with Luana, the daughter of Rita, the black family maid. Family secrets and what happens next is to haunt him through the years and have repercussions he does not expect. The middle aged Andre is a more developed, careful and introspective man. The letter he receives from Luana has him withdrawing from his family, placing it in jeopardy. He gets another letter that has him on a journey into his past. The novel moves back and forth in time between two shattering times of his life. There is a technicolor vibrancy associated with Brazil and Andre's memories of his youth there whilst London is leached of colour, grey and introspective. The language is beautiful, and made reading this a joy. This is a tale of race, class and the power that resides in being male. It is about memories, and the carelessness with which the young can treat others. It is a story of passion and tragedy. Thanks to Scribner for an ARC.
June 19, 2017
Flesh and Bone and Water is short and focused, just like its title. Andre was born in Brazil and now works in London. Through his first person narrative, we learn about what led him to leave Brazil permanently in his late teens. This was a good book to read on a lazy Sunday. Andre is flawed both as a teenager and as an adult, but there's something sympathetic about him. Through his eyes, I felt like I was getting a glimpse at a slice contemporary Brazil -- including a micro exploration of issues of class, race and gender. Mind you, it's not a didactic story -- it remains a novel with what feel like real emotions and a mystery at its core. Definitely worth reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
February 12, 2020
Luiza Sauma’s Flesh and Bone and Water read like a primitive high school essay that could possibly have be entitled: “My Memories of Growing Up and How I Ended Up Here.” Honestly, that title makes it sound a bit more interesting than it was for most of the novel. While there were a few glimmering moments of promise, this horse never truly broke out into a run for me—there were times when it never even left the stable.
While this novel is, at its core, a novel about race in class—the line between the rich and the poor, the light-skinned and the dark-skinned in Brazil—it didn’t come with a lot of depth. The storyline was basic; Andre is the quintessential rich boy who’s bored of the parties around him and is surprised that his maid has a life of her own outside of washing his clothes and cooking his meals. He’s the kind of teenager who’s spoiled and curious and sheltered, the kind who plans to raise his children the same way he was raised: by a black woman who sleeps in a small room behind the kitchen. In short, he was pretty annoying and flat for pretty much all of the novel.
The dialogue was so basic and one-dimensional that it was practically elementary and definitely added nothing whatsoever to the plot, tension or emotion of the novel as a whole. In fact, I found myself thinking more times than is even acceptable, “Is this a novel in translation?” because at least that would explain the lack of…anything remotely affecting being present here. Perhaps it was, quite literally, just lost in translation. (Because I can find no evidence to the contrary, I’ve come to believe that this is not, actually, a translation.) Flesh and Bone and Water instead was delivered like a pretty lackluster, definitely watered-down version of a Hanif Kureishi novel, and I was ready to put it down before I got one-fifth of the way through it. Really, nothing truly happened in this novel until over halfway through it. The story-line from there could have been truly heartwarming if handled differently. Instead, it read as rushed at times and stale pretty much throughout, aside from a few more-polished moments.
Luiza Sauma’s Flesh and Bone and Water was tangible proof that a great idea does not a great novel make. It takes more than that; it takes finesse and heart and skill, which this novel didn’t display an extraordinary level of dexterity with. If you’re looking for a simple novel—the kind to make you say aaawwww when two teenagers kiss behind hanging laundry—then this may very well be a novel of interest for you. However, if you’re a reader who is looking to sink their teeth into something—to follow and love and root for your characters with the same passion for them that they exude as characters on the pages—then I bid you think twice about this one. It’s about as bare bones (no pun intended) as a burlap sack. 2 stars **
*I received an advance-read copy of this novel from the publisher, Viking, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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While this novel is, at its core, a novel about race in class—the line between the rich and the poor, the light-skinned and the dark-skinned in Brazil—it didn’t come with a lot of depth. The storyline was basic; Andre is the quintessential rich boy who’s bored of the parties around him and is surprised that his maid has a life of her own outside of washing his clothes and cooking his meals. He’s the kind of teenager who’s spoiled and curious and sheltered, the kind who plans to raise his children the same way he was raised: by a black woman who sleeps in a small room behind the kitchen. In short, he was pretty annoying and flat for pretty much all of the novel.
The dialogue was so basic and one-dimensional that it was practically elementary and definitely added nothing whatsoever to the plot, tension or emotion of the novel as a whole. In fact, I found myself thinking more times than is even acceptable, “Is this a novel in translation?” because at least that would explain the lack of…anything remotely affecting being present here. Perhaps it was, quite literally, just lost in translation. (Because I can find no evidence to the contrary, I’ve come to believe that this is not, actually, a translation.) Flesh and Bone and Water instead was delivered like a pretty lackluster, definitely watered-down version of a Hanif Kureishi novel, and I was ready to put it down before I got one-fifth of the way through it. Really, nothing truly happened in this novel until over halfway through it. The story-line from there could have been truly heartwarming if handled differently. Instead, it read as rushed at times and stale pretty much throughout, aside from a few more-polished moments.
Luiza Sauma’s Flesh and Bone and Water was tangible proof that a great idea does not a great novel make. It takes more than that; it takes finesse and heart and skill, which this novel didn’t display an extraordinary level of dexterity with. If you’re looking for a simple novel—the kind to make you say aaawwww when two teenagers kiss behind hanging laundry—then this may very well be a novel of interest for you. However, if you’re a reader who is looking to sink their teeth into something—to follow and love and root for your characters with the same passion for them that they exude as characters on the pages—then I bid you think twice about this one. It’s about as bare bones (no pun intended) as a burlap sack. 2 stars **
*I received an advance-read copy of this novel from the publisher, Viking, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
FOLLOW ME HERE:
Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Get a Copy of My Book | Book Editing, Author Coaching, Submit Your Book to Me
March 6, 2017
The dark yet dazzling nature of 1980s Brazil is detailed with rich language and vibrant episode in this novel; the image of a stratified and racist society developed through the relationship between a well off young man and his empregada, a young black woman who left school to work as a housekeeper. The small anecdotes about Andre's family life and local experiences are where the beauty and colour reside. Yet these are the best parts of the book. Andre falls quickly into melodrama, it's all teenage angst and sex. His adult life takes place in a rather more desultory described London, continuing with the dramatic denouement of his younger self's story; something which seemed obvious to me but clearly a complete surprise to this character who seems to have little or no concept of how people behave.
There's some good groundwork here, a sense of place that feels real enough to touch, in Brazil at least. Still, however good a frame looks, it needs a good picture to hang inside if it's going to be worth looking at.
ARC via Netgalley
There's some good groundwork here, a sense of place that feels real enough to touch, in Brazil at least. Still, however good a frame looks, it needs a good picture to hang inside if it's going to be worth looking at.
ARC via Netgalley
November 3, 2017
I was provided a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
If ever there were a case of cover love, it’s this. Thankfully the cover accurately reflects the rich setting of the story as well as the sense of enchantment that the main character found himself under. However there were parts of the story that didn’t fully enchant me.
Sauma is definitely an author to keep an eye on. I loved the way she wrote and the feeling she could evoke with her descriptions. The heavy air of Brazil in Summer, the taste and smell of all the little things that make up a memory. These were the parts of the book that captured me and reeled me in. Even the stark contrasts of South America and England were fantastically executed.
The overall storyline however, didn’t enchant me quite as much. Perhaps it was just me but I didn’t find much mystery in the story. The twists and revelations were obvious and I found myself merely biding my time until my suppositions were confirmed. There are times when this doesn’t matter in a story because you are happy to follow the character, to be on their journey. But Andre isn’t a very likeable character, so it ends up being anticlimactic and a slight chore.
Don’t mistake me, Andre wasn’t really meant to be a likeable character. This book follows class and race distinctions in the 1980s of Brazil. Andre is the priveledged one, clueless and self-entitled. He's not really set up to be liked. It's more about the culture shock and getting an understanding of a specific point in time and place. And once again, the descriptions are fantastic, but the otherwise obviousness of the plot, left me wanting.
In the end, it was just an okay book. BUT I'll definitely be on the lookout for another Luiza Sauma book, because her skills as a writer are amazing.
If ever there were a case of cover love, it’s this. Thankfully the cover accurately reflects the rich setting of the story as well as the sense of enchantment that the main character found himself under. However there were parts of the story that didn’t fully enchant me.
Sauma is definitely an author to keep an eye on. I loved the way she wrote and the feeling she could evoke with her descriptions. The heavy air of Brazil in Summer, the taste and smell of all the little things that make up a memory. These were the parts of the book that captured me and reeled me in. Even the stark contrasts of South America and England were fantastically executed.
The overall storyline however, didn’t enchant me quite as much. Perhaps it was just me but I didn’t find much mystery in the story. The twists and revelations were obvious and I found myself merely biding my time until my suppositions were confirmed. There are times when this doesn’t matter in a story because you are happy to follow the character, to be on their journey. But Andre isn’t a very likeable character, so it ends up being anticlimactic and a slight chore.
Don’t mistake me, Andre wasn’t really meant to be a likeable character. This book follows class and race distinctions in the 1980s of Brazil. Andre is the priveledged one, clueless and self-entitled. He's not really set up to be liked. It's more about the culture shock and getting an understanding of a specific point in time and place. And once again, the descriptions are fantastic, but the otherwise obviousness of the plot, left me wanting.
In the end, it was just an okay book. BUT I'll definitely be on the lookout for another Luiza Sauma book, because her skills as a writer are amazing.
June 7, 2022
Heady. Raw. Moving. Amazing.
February 23, 2017
Flesh and bone and water: a powerful story of youth and privilege in Rio de Janeiro
This review is also published here: http://theslattern.com/2017/02/23/fle...
Luiza Sauma’s debut novel lends weight to the saying that good things come in small packages; it is only 240 pages long, but packs a hefty emotional punch.
Andre is a middle-aged Brazilian doctor who has lived in London for the past 25 years. He is married with two teenage children and his life is happy and uneventful until the arrival of a letter from his childhood maid sends him into a psychological tailspin from which he cannot recover. In subsequent months his wife leaves him and his life collapses inwards. He is left to ruminate on the past in his bedsit and GP’s surgery…and more letters keep arriving.
Much of the novel is told in flashbacks to Andre’s adolescence in Rio – the death of his mother, the coldness of his pushy plastic-surgeon father, the long afternoons drinking with friends on Copacabana beach. Sauma’s writing is sensual, giving a strong impression of place with just a few words. The reader will find themselves totally absorbed by the busy, white-bright beaches of Rio; the smothering greenness of the Amazon; the staid greyness of London.
The story centres around the 17-year-old Andre falling in love with his empregada – or live-in maid – Luana, a girl of a similar age to him who lives with her mother in a room behind their kitchen. Even though Andre is a ‘good kid’, if a little confused, the consequences of his hormonally fuelled actions will echo for years, in ways that he can’t possibly fathom.
It’s impossible to explain further without spoilers. Suffice to say that this book carefully illuminates aspects of privilege – male privilege, racial privilege, class privilege – and explores them with care and sensitivity. It is also hugely readable and brisk paced. It would make a perfect beach read for summer 2017.
This review is also published here: http://theslattern.com/2017/02/23/fle...
Luiza Sauma’s debut novel lends weight to the saying that good things come in small packages; it is only 240 pages long, but packs a hefty emotional punch.
Andre is a middle-aged Brazilian doctor who has lived in London for the past 25 years. He is married with two teenage children and his life is happy and uneventful until the arrival of a letter from his childhood maid sends him into a psychological tailspin from which he cannot recover. In subsequent months his wife leaves him and his life collapses inwards. He is left to ruminate on the past in his bedsit and GP’s surgery…and more letters keep arriving.
Much of the novel is told in flashbacks to Andre’s adolescence in Rio – the death of his mother, the coldness of his pushy plastic-surgeon father, the long afternoons drinking with friends on Copacabana beach. Sauma’s writing is sensual, giving a strong impression of place with just a few words. The reader will find themselves totally absorbed by the busy, white-bright beaches of Rio; the smothering greenness of the Amazon; the staid greyness of London.
The story centres around the 17-year-old Andre falling in love with his empregada – or live-in maid – Luana, a girl of a similar age to him who lives with her mother in a room behind their kitchen. Even though Andre is a ‘good kid’, if a little confused, the consequences of his hormonally fuelled actions will echo for years, in ways that he can’t possibly fathom.
It’s impossible to explain further without spoilers. Suffice to say that this book carefully illuminates aspects of privilege – male privilege, racial privilege, class privilege – and explores them with care and sensitivity. It is also hugely readable and brisk paced. It would make a perfect beach read for summer 2017.
May 18, 2017
Something about the liquid imagery and cryptic title drew me to this novel. London has a big Brazilian community so I was curious to read about that cross-cultural experience as well. The novel centres around Andre, a Brazilian man in his later years who has lived his whole adult life in the UK. But he was raised in a privileged white upper-middle class family in Rio de Janeiro. There his family had a maid or an “empregada” named Rita and her mixed-race daughter Luana who also served the family. Andre hasn’t had contact with Luana for many years, but recently he’s received letters from her and it’s forced him to revisit a past which he’s denied throughout his life. Gradually the story of his tumultuous teenage years is revealed and the reason why he’s so stridently distanced himself from his country of birth and his family. It’s a novel that comes with a gripping twist which creates a complex picture of love.
Read my full review of Flesh and Bone and Water by Luiza Sauma on LonesomeReader
Read my full review of Flesh and Bone and Water by Luiza Sauma on LonesomeReader
December 6, 2017
I warmed to this novel rather slowly, but by the end I was immersed and not quite ready for it to end. It’s the second book I’ve read this year set in Brazil which makes for a fantastic backdrop... just the word “Ipanema” is enticing. There are issues of race and identity mixed with a coming of age story and a man desperately in search of himself.
I love a novel told from both the past and present, and while it took me half the book to connect emotionally with Andre, I felt all the more rewarded once he melted my heart. Ultimately it didn’t even matter that I had guessed the plot twist early on - the storytelling is strong enough to keep it interesting as it unfolds.
And, while I didn’t want it to end, the ending pages felt exactly right.
Read alikes:
The End by Fernanda Torres (Brazil)
The World in Half By Cristina Henriquez (the search for truth/self/family)
I love a novel told from both the past and present, and while it took me half the book to connect emotionally with Andre, I felt all the more rewarded once he melted my heart. Ultimately it didn’t even matter that I had guessed the plot twist early on - the storytelling is strong enough to keep it interesting as it unfolds.
And, while I didn’t want it to end, the ending pages felt exactly right.
Read alikes:
The End by Fernanda Torres (Brazil)
The World in Half By Cristina Henriquez (the search for truth/self/family)
January 13, 2018
Really interesting in places. Kinda predictable in others. Lots of teen sex and melodrama. Men's sex fantasies are boring and tired. Why not write this story from her perspective? That would be waaaaaaay more interesting. A totally new world for me, which is always a plus.
November 8, 2024
André Cabral är född och uppvuxen i Rio de Janeiro i Brasilien, men jobbar nu som läkare i London. Han har inte besökt hemlandet på trettio år, men så får han plötsligt ett brev. Det första brevet följs av fler och han inser snart att han måste återvända för att göra upp med sitt förflutna.
Vi får följa André i dåtid (1986) när han är 17 år, förälskad i (eller snarare besatt av) Luana, hembiträdets dotter, och spenderar en hel del tid på Ipanema Beach. Hans mamma är död och pappan jobbar mycket och vill lära André yrket som plastikkirurg. Han har en bror, Thiago, som är 10 år yngre, och de båda går i skolan. Då och då förflyttas vi till nutid (2014) i London, där André har separerat från sin fru Esther och har två döttrar.
Jag tyckte om att befinna mig i Brasilien, men karaktärerna kändes tyvärr lite platta. Trots att vi befinner oss i Andrés huvud så lär jag aldrig riktigt känna honom och han framstår som en bortskämd överklassyngling som förväntar sig att få som han vill. Jag hade gärna sett att författaren hade fördjupat sig mer i vissa händelser; nu var det mesta väldigt ytligt. När det äntligen hände något oväntat fick jag upp hoppet, men det rann liksom ut i sanden utan att direkt skaka om någonting.
Det här är både en uppväxtskildring och en bok om klasskillnader. Det är en intressant inblick i relationen mellan överklassen och dess tjänstefolk, men mitt slutliga omdöme blir ändå inte mer än "okej".
Vi får följa André i dåtid (1986) när han är 17 år, förälskad i (eller snarare besatt av) Luana, hembiträdets dotter, och spenderar en hel del tid på Ipanema Beach. Hans mamma är död och pappan jobbar mycket och vill lära André yrket som plastikkirurg. Han har en bror, Thiago, som är 10 år yngre, och de båda går i skolan. Då och då förflyttas vi till nutid (2014) i London, där André har separerat från sin fru Esther och har två döttrar.
Jag tyckte om att befinna mig i Brasilien, men karaktärerna kändes tyvärr lite platta. Trots att vi befinner oss i Andrés huvud så lär jag aldrig riktigt känna honom och han framstår som en bortskämd överklassyngling som förväntar sig att få som han vill. Jag hade gärna sett att författaren hade fördjupat sig mer i vissa händelser; nu var det mesta väldigt ytligt. När det äntligen hände något oväntat fick jag upp hoppet, men det rann liksom ut i sanden utan att direkt skaka om någonting.
Det här är både en uppväxtskildring och en bok om klasskillnader. Det är en intressant inblick i relationen mellan överklassen och dess tjänstefolk, men mitt slutliga omdöme blir ändå inte mer än "okej".
June 14, 2017
Just finished this one and really enjoyed it. It a very quick read and you'll find yourself easily flipping through the pages. This is the story of a boy named Andre, living his teen years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The story alternates between the past and the future. Decades later, Andre will have to revisit the past that he's ran away from. I loved the atmospheric details of Brazil, and the inclusion of so much culture. There's also a twist towards the end that I didn't see coming.
October 27, 2017
The main theme of this book is about race and class distinctions in Brazil. There is a distinctive difference between the haves and the have nots – and Andre was certainly a rich white ‘have,’ while Luana is the poor dark-skinned ‘have not’. For me Andre was a typical spoiled rich boy, used to having his own way but bored with the aimlessness of parties and living behind the walls of his gated community. As he looks for a diversion his adolescent lust falls on the beautiful Luana who cooks and cleans for the household and has her own small room off the kitchen.
As a character, Andre didn’t excite me – he had no depth. I understand he is supposed to be a selfish and shallow young man – but even that characterisation fell short for me. I think Luana had more character than Andre and while the relationship meant more to her, it was certainly only ever a distraction from boredom for Andre – he was in love with the idea of being in love. I am surprised he became a doctor as he had no empathy whatsoever, and his comments about his patients show great disrespect. I found the flow of the story to be disjointed, and very slow in parts. In fact it took me a while to get into the story. I really never came to care about Andre, he was totally self-obsessed, cared for no-one. I did however care for Luana and I felt sorry for her as she felt true love for a young man incapable of giving any back.
This is a debut novel and it shows a lot of promise, Luiza Sauma’s descriptions of Brazil and the various activities – parties, beach days and family get-togethers for example – came alive on the pages. But on paper the relationship between the young Andre and Luana didn’t seem to evoke the passion that the older Andre seemed to focus on looking back, so because of this the main premise of the story missed the mark for me.
With thanks to Penguin UK Publishers and the author via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
As a character, Andre didn’t excite me – he had no depth. I understand he is supposed to be a selfish and shallow young man – but even that characterisation fell short for me. I think Luana had more character than Andre and while the relationship meant more to her, it was certainly only ever a distraction from boredom for Andre – he was in love with the idea of being in love. I am surprised he became a doctor as he had no empathy whatsoever, and his comments about his patients show great disrespect. I found the flow of the story to be disjointed, and very slow in parts. In fact it took me a while to get into the story. I really never came to care about Andre, he was totally self-obsessed, cared for no-one. I did however care for Luana and I felt sorry for her as she felt true love for a young man incapable of giving any back.
This is a debut novel and it shows a lot of promise, Luiza Sauma’s descriptions of Brazil and the various activities – parties, beach days and family get-togethers for example – came alive on the pages. But on paper the relationship between the young Andre and Luana didn’t seem to evoke the passion that the older Andre seemed to focus on looking back, so because of this the main premise of the story missed the mark for me.
With thanks to Penguin UK Publishers and the author via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.
January 18, 2023
An immersive coming of age story that took me right to Brazil: to days at the beach in Ipanema, to swimming in the Amazon. Obsessive first love/lust, family tragedy and a twist that I really didn’t see coming, this is a book that kept me turning the pages as the tension was built and the mystery needed to solved.
March 15, 2017
This was one of those books where I could admire the quality of the writing without being particularly moved by the story or the characters. In fact, the story felt rather slight even for quite a short book. The author’s choice of a male narrator was interesting (and quite brave) but I’m not sure I got any additional insight into the character as a result.
The book flits between past and present as Andre, born in Brazil but now living in London, reminisces about his time growing up in Rio and his teenage infatuation with the family’s maid, Luana. The reminiscences are provoked by receipt of a series of letters from Luana after a space of many years.
I found Andre a very difficult character to identify with and I struggled to see what attraction he could have held for Luana. Both as an adult and a teenager, Andre comes across as totally self-obsessed. He doesn’t stay in touch with friends, remember the surnames of his previous lovers or appear to feel any obligation to commit to his marriage. Even during his relationship with Luana he shows no interest in finding out about her family or even where she and Rita, her mother, go on their rare days off.
‘She and Rita spent the weekend at Vidigal. Who with? Family, I suppose. Friends from the favela, who they never spoke of.’
When Andre learns details about his father’s activities, he doesn’t appear shocked. What comes across is a picture of an extremely stratified society where the rich of Rio live in apartments in gated communities overlooking Ipanema beach attended to by maids from the favelas. Andre just seems to accept this divide as an ‘accident of birth’.
Despite becoming a doctor in later life, Andre shows no empathy for his patients whom he describes as ‘local hypochondriacs, idlers, depressives and overprotective mothers.’ In fact, Andre seems overwhelmed by self-pity so much so that he seems surprised that his wife’s reaction to reading Luana’s letters is to feel sorry for her not for him: ‘She was crying for Luana, not for me.’
However, I must give the author credit for the wonderful and evocative depictions of Brazil, its landscape and people. The colour of Brazil contrasts with the dull, grey tones of the descriptions of London.
I was sorry I couldn’t love this book more because I think the writer shows real promise.
I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Penguin UK in return for an honest review.
To read this and other reviews of great books, visit my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.c...
The book flits between past and present as Andre, born in Brazil but now living in London, reminisces about his time growing up in Rio and his teenage infatuation with the family’s maid, Luana. The reminiscences are provoked by receipt of a series of letters from Luana after a space of many years.
I found Andre a very difficult character to identify with and I struggled to see what attraction he could have held for Luana. Both as an adult and a teenager, Andre comes across as totally self-obsessed. He doesn’t stay in touch with friends, remember the surnames of his previous lovers or appear to feel any obligation to commit to his marriage. Even during his relationship with Luana he shows no interest in finding out about her family or even where she and Rita, her mother, go on their rare days off.
‘She and Rita spent the weekend at Vidigal. Who with? Family, I suppose. Friends from the favela, who they never spoke of.’
When Andre learns details about his father’s activities, he doesn’t appear shocked. What comes across is a picture of an extremely stratified society where the rich of Rio live in apartments in gated communities overlooking Ipanema beach attended to by maids from the favelas. Andre just seems to accept this divide as an ‘accident of birth’.
Despite becoming a doctor in later life, Andre shows no empathy for his patients whom he describes as ‘local hypochondriacs, idlers, depressives and overprotective mothers.’ In fact, Andre seems overwhelmed by self-pity so much so that he seems surprised that his wife’s reaction to reading Luana’s letters is to feel sorry for her not for him: ‘She was crying for Luana, not for me.’
However, I must give the author credit for the wonderful and evocative depictions of Brazil, its landscape and people. The colour of Brazil contrasts with the dull, grey tones of the descriptions of London.
I was sorry I couldn’t love this book more because I think the writer shows real promise.
I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Penguin UK in return for an honest review.
To read this and other reviews of great books, visit my blog: https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.c...
April 16, 2017
This is one of those rare books where you're as desperate to reach the end as you are for it never to end; you need to know what happens next but don't want to rush through the quietly beautiful sentences. Sauma's writing is economical yet vivid; she manages to smuggle a huge range of emotions and experiences beneath its taut surface. By focussing on one eventful period in a middle-aged Brazilian doctor's youth, Sauma raises universal questions about race, class and gender, identity and belonging. I heartily recommend.
October 21, 2017
TW: Incest
Incest storylines are a hard pass for me. My bigger issue with this book though is that it feels like it's written by a dudebro who is well aware of the privilege of his gender and social status and exploits that power dynamic. There's definitely some internalized misogyny here. I think there are better ways to explore flawed characters without using women as a plotline for a middle-aged man's reminiscence.
Incest storylines are a hard pass for me. My bigger issue with this book though is that it feels like it's written by a dudebro who is well aware of the privilege of his gender and social status and exploits that power dynamic. There's definitely some internalized misogyny here. I think there are better ways to explore flawed characters without using women as a plotline for a middle-aged man's reminiscence.
June 30, 2017
3.5 stars!!
Andre, the son of a surgeon, who lives a life of privilege with two maids, Rita and Luana. They take care of him, his younger brother and their father - especially so after the death of their mother. Andre's father works all the time and is rarely home. And Andre finds himself drawn more and more to Luana as he gets older. Then one day she disappears and he takes off to travel the world, before settling into London. Three decades later, he starts receiving cryptic letters from Luana and it shakes his world upside down.
Written in alternating sections of Andre's past to his present day situation with his family, the author builds us a world that transverses racism, classism, the power of a first love, miscommunication and cultures across the world. Admittedly, I struggled to get into the story line and thought about putting it down, but something compelled me to continue on and I'm glad that I did. Luiza Sauma is someone to watch out for in contemporary literary fiction. I did NOT expect the story to head in the direction that it did and it definitely gave me cartoon surprise eyes. While this type of read is not my typical genre and felt a bit slow - this was just a personal preference and being picky. Her writing style is beautiful and the story was fantastic. I felt transported to Brazil, the Amazon, London and the like. If you like atmospheric, contemporary reads with soul, you will love this book.
Big thanks to Scribner for this surprise copy. That cover is gorgeous and the story is beautiful.
Andre, the son of a surgeon, who lives a life of privilege with two maids, Rita and Luana. They take care of him, his younger brother and their father - especially so after the death of their mother. Andre's father works all the time and is rarely home. And Andre finds himself drawn more and more to Luana as he gets older. Then one day she disappears and he takes off to travel the world, before settling into London. Three decades later, he starts receiving cryptic letters from Luana and it shakes his world upside down.
Written in alternating sections of Andre's past to his present day situation with his family, the author builds us a world that transverses racism, classism, the power of a first love, miscommunication and cultures across the world. Admittedly, I struggled to get into the story line and thought about putting it down, but something compelled me to continue on and I'm glad that I did. Luiza Sauma is someone to watch out for in contemporary literary fiction. I did NOT expect the story to head in the direction that it did and it definitely gave me cartoon surprise eyes. While this type of read is not my typical genre and felt a bit slow - this was just a personal preference and being picky. Her writing style is beautiful and the story was fantastic. I felt transported to Brazil, the Amazon, London and the like. If you like atmospheric, contemporary reads with soul, you will love this book.
Big thanks to Scribner for this surprise copy. That cover is gorgeous and the story is beautiful.
June 7, 2022
Kul att läsa något av en brasiliansk författare! Det händer verkligen inte ofta. Boken i sig har ett upplägg jag gillar med en man som tillbringat nästan trettio år i England och plötsligt börjar få brev från ett av uppväxtårens hembiträden. Det kastar oss tillbaka till 80-talets Brasilien och mannens tonår. Men … Den här boken har också en twist som i mitt tycke är tämligen obehaglig men det känns inte som att de inblandade tycker det. Det gör mig en aning förbryllad måste jag säga. Varför reagerar de inte starkare? Blir inte riktigt klok på det. I en bokcirkel hade det nog blivit en bra diskussion!
November 14, 2018
Flesh and Bone and Water sure makes the case for me to never visit Rio!
The story and setting were very unique, I could almost feel the sweat dripping and feel the stank, disgusting humidity.
The book was easy to read, like smooth clockwork. One moment in the book filled me with shock and surprise, but before that moment and after that moment were truly quite boring, unfortunately.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. Learned also that there seems to be a lot of racism in Brazil as well. Glad I read this book, will not be needing or wanting to read it again.
The story and setting were very unique, I could almost feel the sweat dripping and feel the stank, disgusting humidity.
The book was easy to read, like smooth clockwork. One moment in the book filled me with shock and surprise, but before that moment and after that moment were truly quite boring, unfortunately.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. Learned also that there seems to be a lot of racism in Brazil as well. Glad I read this book, will not be needing or wanting to read it again.
October 15, 2021
I liked reading about the culture, the environment, the food, youthful mistakes. I was pushing through and it was mild and fine. Then the story took a turn that made me audibly noooooooooooo so I looked forward to its end.
July 25, 2018
When I started this I could feel criticisms boiling in my head but as I wrote down a quote and another and another it all dissipated.
Read this in less than 2 days because I HAD to know what happened. Couldn't get enough.
It's a beautiful story following a Brazilian family after the mother dies in a car accident, but there is much left unsaid between the remaining father and sons. The narrator, the eldest, has a fabulous voice has he flits between his current life in London and his memories without his mother and being a brat teenager. The revelations he has are stark and beyond his years (perhaps hindsight from his current 46-year-old self). There is a major WTF moment after I had a clear expectation of a non-ending and it shook me.
I'm mad I got this from the library because I want my own copy to mark up and reread in the future.
Read this in less than 2 days because I HAD to know what happened. Couldn't get enough.
It's a beautiful story following a Brazilian family after the mother dies in a car accident, but there is much left unsaid between the remaining father and sons. The narrator, the eldest, has a fabulous voice has he flits between his current life in London and his memories without his mother and being a brat teenager. The revelations he has are stark and beyond his years (perhaps hindsight from his current 46-year-old self). There is a major WTF moment after I had a clear expectation of a non-ending and it shook me.
I'm mad I got this from the library because I want my own copy to mark up and reread in the future.
September 1, 2024
Gorgeous, haunting, page-turn-y family story with lovely travelogue-y bits.
March 29, 2019
Moments of quality, writing about Brazil, but the main character was just an unlikeable idiot with no redeeming features. Hard to love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2020
Kött och ben och vatten är en bok som jag förmodligen inte hade plockat upp på eget initiativ. Författare från Brasilien läser i alla fall jag för sällan. Faktum är att jag tror att det aldrig har hänt tidigare. Därför blir jag glad när överraskningsböcker gör att jag tvingas ut från min bekväma bubbla för att läsa sådant som jag annars hade missat. Läs mer på min blogg
December 14, 2017
What I loved about this novel was how it made Brazil come alive. The author did a great job of describing the culture, the people, and the social system in place. There were a lot of things that I did not know about Brazil that I know now after reading this novel, for which I am grateful to have had the opportunity. However, I didn't like the story. This was probably because I didn't like André. When he is describing himself as a teenager, you get the impression that he was a self-obsessed boy. Not much has changed in his adulthood. I found his character to be annoyingly selfish and prone to being melodramatic. The story was also not that unique, so I really wasn't too interested in what was happening to the characters. The dialogue between the characters was also emotionless and that struck me as odd, since this story pretty much demands passion. Overall, this was just an okay novel - and that's only because of the great setting the author created. However, the story itself failed in execution. For those reasons, I'm giving this a 1.5/5 stars.
I received this novel as an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this novel as an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2016
A short book, a novella really, that oscillates between two moments of crisis in the life of André: one when he was a 17-year old in Brazil just after the death of his mother; and the other 30 years later in London. With his marriage in tatters, he receives a letter unexpectedly from the daughter of his family maid, and travels back in his mind to unravel dark family secrets.
An engaging tone to the writing draws us in quickly but the plot trajectory is familiar from more melodramatic plots with the outcome coming as less of a surprise to us, I suspect, than to André himself. For all the Brazilian setting, André and his friends could be teenagers anywhere and this is less atmospheric than I might have hoped.
All the same, a quick and absorbing read, but perhaps not one that will linger in my mind.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
An engaging tone to the writing draws us in quickly but the plot trajectory is familiar from more melodramatic plots with the outcome coming as less of a surprise to us, I suspect, than to André himself. For all the Brazilian setting, André and his friends could be teenagers anywhere and this is less atmospheric than I might have hoped.
All the same, a quick and absorbing read, but perhaps not one that will linger in my mind.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley
May 7, 2021
This book needs a TW/CW. The author uses something taboo and traumatic as a plot twist, which is incredibly lazy and insulting to readers. Even before the twist is revealed toward the end of the story, the first 3/4 of the book is insufferable because the narrator, Andre, is selfish, melodramatic, and makes no effort to evolve.
It also makes no sense that he's been pining over Luanna for 30 years - as Luanna said herself, Andre knows nothing about her, he's just infatuated and feels possessive of her. I think the author is milking this infatuation for shock value, not for any true emotional or literary merit, and mission accomplished - it's stomach turning.
It also makes no sense that he's been pining over Luanna for 30 years - as Luanna said herself, Andre knows nothing about her, he's just infatuated and feels possessive of her. I think the author is milking this infatuation for shock value, not for any true emotional or literary merit, and mission accomplished - it's stomach turning.
April 4, 2018
I enjoyed the descriptions of life in Brazil in the 1980’s as it was new territory for me. Overall the story was a bit predictable and the protagonist was not a particularly likeable character and perhaps a bit emotionally shallow. I found it hard to believe he maintained such an emotional attachment to a girl that he really appeared to be more infatuated with than in love with as a teenager.
September 3, 2021
Beautifully written. Compelling and vivid.
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