Seamstress PB - Frances De Pontes Peebles

An enthralling novel of love and courage, passion and adventure that brings to life a faraway time and place, The Seamstress is an epic saga, rich in depth and vision, that heralds the arrival of a supremely talented new writer. n nWinner of the Friends of American Writers Award for Fictionn nAs 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 secret prayers to the saints she believes once saved her life. But when Luzia is abducted by cangaceiros led by the infamous Hawk and Emília stumbles into a marriage with the son of a wealthy and politically powerful doctor, the sisters' quiet lives diverge in ways they never would have imagined. n