Inimigas Intimas

Intimate Enemies is the latest novel by Joyce Cavalcante. This absorbing tale describes life in the small northern Brazilian town of Sobral during the frequent droughts and political upheavals that swept this area from 1954 to 1974. The story revolves around Duda, a despotic ranch owner who shares his home and bed with four women. The first is Rita, a sensual young mulatta, with whom he slept before he married Evangelina, his legal wife. His other lovers are two beautiful household girls he seduces as the story unfolds. By these four women he has 12 children, but considers only the offspring of Evangelina to be his true heirs. The conflict arising from this polygamist life style and the rivalries among the women enlivens this story set against the political struggles of Evangelinas family. A clan of militant politicians to find themselves involved in the historical events that began with the suicide of a Brazilian president and end with a harsh dictatorship two decades later. The small town of Sobral cannot scape being affected by these events. These upheavals are digested in the stoic manner of northern Brazilians, who unlike those in power have only two ambitions: to defeat the droughts and to survive as God provides. Dudas story illustrates the increasing decadence and corruption of Brazilian society during that period. But the book also demonstrates how it was possible for a determined man to survive and even build a fortune during these tempestuous times.