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 wasnβt mine. In a
city that wasnβt mine, in a country that wasnβt mine, with a
one-man family that, in spite of the intersections and
intentions (all very good), wasnβt 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 motherβs 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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