Había una vez un arroz que fue plantado en la tierra, caído del cielo y recogido de entre las piedras, un arroz que no se pasaba nunca que llegó de lejos de la mano de tres jóvenes llenos de ilusiones y sueños…Arroz de Palma es la historia de una familia, la de José Custódio y Maria Romana, emigrantes en Brasil a principios del siglo XX. Durante la preparación de la fiesta para celebrar el centenario de la boda de José y Maria, su hijo mayor, Antonio, ya un abuelo, repasa las vidas de sus padres, de su tía, de sus hermanos, de sus hijos y nietos y, por supuesto, la suya. Antonio sabe que la familia es un plato de compleja elaboración y que la felicidad se cocina día a día. Pero ellos tienen un ingrediente secreto: el arroz de la tía Palma, cuya magia se extiende más allá del fuego y del tiempo.

[bookcover:Once Upon a Time in Rio|18775436]
Once Upon a Time in Rio – Francisco Azevedo
4****

When Jose Custodio and Maria Romana marry in Lisbon in 1908, his sister Palma, retrieves all the rice thrown by well-wishers at the ceremony, and presents it to the couple as a gift, to symbolize future health and fertility. When the young couple, along with Palma, decide to emigrate to Brazil, the rice comes with them, tucked away among the linens. The novel follows the Custodios, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren through the decades and into the 21st century.

The original Portuguese title – O Arroz de Palma – translates as “Palma’s Rice” and the rice definitely has a role in this delightful multi-generational saga of love, adventure, joy, disappointment, fear, prosperity and all those ingredients that make up the delicious dish we know as family. The story is told by Antonio, son of Jose & Maria, who at the outset of the book is already a grandfather himself and planning a family celebration in honor of what would be his parents’ 100th wedding anniversary. As Antonio looks back, he is remembering the stories his beloved Aunt Palma told him about his parents and his own early childhood, and then his own recollections of his youth and the sibling rivalry between he and his brothers and sister as they grow to adulthood and leave the family home to seek their own fortunes.

It reminded me at times of the Spanish telenovelas my grandmother loved to listen to on the radio. Weddings, births, funerals, fights and making up. Such drama and histrionics! Such love and passion! I was engaged and interested from beginning to end. ( )

Um livro simplesmente apaixonante, delicioso de ler... Delicioso como o mágico arroz... A leitura desse romance me fez recordar "Cem anos de solidão", do grande Gabo. Apresenta a estória de uma família em busca de melhorar de vida, no início da construção dessa família o arroz é agregado e por cem anos permanecerá no seio familiar, ajudando em momentos cruciais para o crescimento e fortalecimento da família.
"Família é prato difícil de preparar. São muitos ingredientes. Reunir todos é um problema." "Família é prato que emociona." "Família é prato que deve ser servido sempre quente, quentíssimo. Uma família fria é insuportável, impossível de engolir." São frases como essas que compõem e tecem todo o enredo deste livro. Vamos vivenciando com Antônio, o personagem que desenvolve toda a estória, cada fase da vida dele e de sua família, o amor por tia Palma, que o criou junto com os pais dele, já que ela vivia com eles. Todos os ensinamentos de tia Palma fazem com que Antônio reviva cada momento da vida saboreando o viver, algumas vezes no real, outras no irreal. ( )

libro de autor brasileño actual. Saga de una familia de Portugal a Brasil unidos por unos cuantos kilos de arroz ( )

Review:



It's been a while since I've done a list version of a book review. To shake things up I'm going to do that with this book.

Beautiful writing.
Transports you throughout the decades.
Shows the importance of family.
Conveys the struggles families go through.
Love the deep respect these characters have for their elders. (even when they think they are nuts)
The art of storytelling.
The magical rice. The source of so much drama.
Aunt Palma. She's such an amazing character, and reminds me of my great-grandmother. Full of wisdom and advice.
Antonio, the main character. He's a dreamer, and tends to wander off in his mind.
The timeline. We get a view of him now, in his 80's and flashbacks of his childhood and growing up.

There's so many great things about this book. I couldn't put into words how I feel. I do know that I definitely came away from this book knowing that my relationship with my family means a lot. ( )