The Seamstress: A Novel

Winner of the Friends of American Writers Award for Fiction

As seamstresses, the young sisters Emília and Luzia dos Santos know how to cut, mend, and conceal-useful skills in the lawless backcountry of Brazil, where ruthless land barons feud with bands of outlaw cangaceiros, trapping innocent residents in the crossfire. Emília, a naive romantic, dreams of falling in love with a gentleman and escaping to a big city. Quick-tempered Luzia also longs for escape, finding it in her craft and secre...