Couto, Mia

Highly recommended.

Alternating between Imani, whose voice is replete with long-held wisdom, and the letters of the bookish and poetic Sergeant de Melo to his commanding officer, Couto achieves a powerful narrative. [See Prepub Alert, 10/16/17.]

Couto, winner of the 2014 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, is known for his poetical writing style. Here he must share kudos with Brookshaw, whose translation beautifully captures the lyricism of this strange and disconcerting novel. Recommended for readers who embrace ambiguity. [See Prepub Alert, 1/25/15.]