'How often, honestly, does the unveiling in translation of a 'forgotten genius' live up to the hype? Well here's one that does: Raduan Nassar' Times Literary Supplement 'I felt the powerful strength of my family overrunning me like a heavy rush of water' For Andre, a young man growing up on a farm in Brazil, life consists of 'the earth, the wheat, the bread, our table and our family'. He loves the land, fears his austere, pious father who preaches from the head of the table as if it is a pulpit, and loathes himself, as he starts to harbour shameful feelings for his sister Ana. Lyrical and sensual, told with biblical intensity, this classic Brazilian coming-of-age novel follows Andre's psychological and sexual awakening, as he must choose between body and soul, duty and freedom.

Author Biography

Raduan Nassar was born in 1935, in Pindorama, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He was raised mainly in small rural towns, then went on to study Law at the University of Sao Paulo. Like his Lebanese immigrant family, the author's life has been bound in agriculture and writing. Ancient Tillage (1975) and A Cup of Rage (1978), a novella, are his two major literary works. He also worked as a journalist and editor for the newspaper Jornal do Bairro, jointly founded with his brothers. Although an acclaimed literary author, since 1985 Raduan Nassar has led a private existence dedicated to farming and livestock production. He retired to a smaller farm in 2011, having donated his entire commercial property to the agricultural departments of the Federal University of Sao Carlos for the creation of a new campus.