Publisher: Press 53Year: 2013
Pages: 190
Rating: H H H H ½
Book Blurb:
A Hero for the People: Stories of the Brazilian Backlands is Arthur Power’s debut collection of short stories set in Contemporary Brazil, where he and his wife lived for almost 30 years.
“Set in the vast and sometimes violent landscape of contemporary Brazil, this book is a gorgeous collection of stories-wise, hopeful, and forgiving, but clear-eyed in its exploration of the toll taken on the human heart by greed, malice, and the lust for land.” (Debra Murphy, CatholicFiction.net).
My Thoughts:
I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. Normally I am not a fan of short stories, however when I was offered a copy of "A Hero for the People" through Book Junkie Promotions, I could not turn it down.
I LOVE Brazil - it is on my list of places to visit, but I realized after reading this book that there is a lot more to the country and its people than I ever realized. This book is an adventure - you almost get the sense that you are traveling along through Brazil's backlands. You feel the emotions of the people in the stories - you feel their pain, their struggle, their fear.
The stories were beautifully written. Each story in this is crafted and fine-tuned. They leave you satisfied and yet wanting more. Arthur Powers is a brilliant storyteller and a wonderful writer. You can clearly see his love and care for the people in his stories; it shines through every page.
About the Author
Arthur Powers went to Brazil in 1969 and lived most his adult life there. From 1985 to 1997, he and his wife served with the Franciscan Friars in the Amazon, doing pastoral work and organizing subsistence farmers and rural workers’ unions in a region of violent land conflicts. The Powers currently live in Raleigh North Carolina.
Arthur received a Fellowship in Fiction from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, three annual awards for short fiction from the Catholic Press Association, and 2nd place in the 2008 Tom Howard Fiction Contest. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many magazines & anthologies. He is the author of A Hero For The People: Stories From The Brazilian Backlands (Press 53, 2013) and The Book of Jotham (Tuscany Press, 2013).
A Hero for the People Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, August 11
Guest Post at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, August 13
Review at Onyx Book Château
Friday, August 15
Spotlight at Closed the Cover
Monday, August 18
Review at Book Nerd
Wednesday, August 20
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Monday, August 25
Guest Post at The Bookworm
Wednesday, August 27
Spotlight at Unshelfish
Monday, September 1
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter
Thursday, September 4
Friday, September 5
Review at A Bookish Affair
Monday, September 8
Review at Mel’s Shelves
Review at Savvy Verse & Wit
Wednesday, September 10
Review & Interview at 80 Acres and a Book
Friday, September 12
Review at A Rose in the City
