Newly teen Vanja is lost when her mother passes away. Left
confused and uncertain, she decides to leave her home in Rio
de Janeiro to stay with her mother's ex-husband in Colorado.
With his help, her goal is to track down her biological
father. During her search, the histories of the people
around her unfold, and a bigger picture of politics and
intersecting lives is presented.
Adriana Lisboa's writing in CROW BLUEis so beautiful and
memorable. Every story weaves together perfectly, and
Vanja's voice stretches you across time and geography. Her
character is remarkable and ordinary at the same time, a
young girl trying to find her place but surrounded by a
cultural richness and beautiful voices.
However, while I love all the interesting histories going on
in CROW BLUE, especially Fernando's, I felt like it focused
too much on them. Vanja is such an interesting character,
and I wanted to hear more about her current story. I
understand that a lot of the history was needed to get to
her present, but I found myself kind of forgetting that she
was actually the main character at times. I think the story
is supposed to be bigger than her, but I still would have
liked more page time with her to explore her character more.
Overall, CROW BLUE is lyrical, beautiful, and touching, and
I would recommend to anyone looking for an exceptional and
diverse read. With not getting to see as much of Vanja as I
would like, it isn't a favorite of mine, but it's
undoubtedly a wonderful and important story. Adriana
Lisboa's writing is unforgettable, and I'm eager to read
more of her work.
I was thirteen. Being thirteen is like being in the middle
of nowhere. Which was accentuated by the fact that I was in
the middle of nowhere. In a house that wasn’t mine. In a
city that wasn’t mine, in a country that wasn’t mine, with a
one-man family that, in spite of the intersections and
intentions (all very good), wasn’t mine.
When her mother dies, thirteen-year-old Vanja is left with
no family and no sense of who she is, where she belongs, and
what she should do. Determined to find her biological father
in order to fill the void that has so suddenly appeared in
her life, Vanja decides to leave Rio de Janeiro to live in
Colorado with her stepfather, a former guerrilla notorious
for his violent past. From there she goes in search of her
biological father, tracing her mother’s footsteps and
gradually discovering the truth about herself.
Rendered in lyrical and passionate prose, Crow Blue is a
literary road trip through Brazil and America, and through
dark decades of familial and political history.
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