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The Sun on My Head

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( 2,621 ratings, 277 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Sun on My Head by Geovani Martins offers a vivid glimpse into life in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Through a collection of interconnected stories, it explores the challenges and joys faced by the community, capturing the complexities of friendship, family, and survival. The book provides an authentic and powerful portrayal of urban life in Brazil.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might like this book if you enjoy immersive tales set in vibrant urban landscapes, as it vividly portrays the lives of young people navigating the complexities of favelas in Rio de Janeiro. The stories offer a raw and poignant exploration of social issues and personal struggles, capturing the spirit and resilience of its characters.

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The bestselling literary sensation from Brazil, The Sun on My Head is a work of great talent and heartbreaking sensitivity-a daring evocation of life in the favelas by a rising star firmly rooted in the community he portrays.

The bestselling literary sensation from Brazil, The Sun on My Head is a work of great talent and heartbreaking sensitivity-a daring evocation of life in the favelas by a rising star firmly rooted in the community he portrays.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Sun on My Head is a collection of thirteen short stories set in Rio's largest favela, Rocinha. The collection gravitates around the childhoods and teenage years of boys who, in spite of having to deal with the anguish and difficulties inherent to their age, also struggle with the violence involved in growing up on the less favoured side of the 'Broken City'.

In stories such as 'Flash Mob', a group of teenagers goes to the beach in the summer of 2015, a time marked by Rio's military police presence, allegedly aimed at discouraging organised gang looting. In 'Fr. Miguel Station,' a group of friends find themselves staring down the barrels of militia semi-automatics, while in 'Russian Roulette', the routine of some children in Bangu is sent into a spin by the appearance of a revolver.

This is a spellbinding debut about masculinity, corruption, guilt, poverty, and resilience. Martins boasts superb mastery of both form and storytelling; this story collection is completely of our time yet promises to be profoundly timeless.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780571348251

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 February 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Faber & Faber

Edition: Main

Contributors:

  • Translated by Julia Sanches
  • Translated by Julia Sanches

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 7.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 114g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Geovani Martins was born in 1991 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He grew up with his mother in the Rio neighbourhood of Vidigal. He supported his writing by working as a sandwich-board man and selling drinks on the beach, and was discovered during creative writing workshops at Flup, the literary festival of the Rio favelas. The Sun on My Head is his first book.

Julia Sanches translates from Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Catalan. She has translated works by Susana Moreira Marques, Noemi Jaffe, Daniel Galera, Claudia Hernandez, and Liliana Colanzi, among others. Her work has also appeared in Two Lines, Granta, Tin House, Words Without Borders, and Electric Literature. She is a founding member of the Cedilla & Co. translators' collective, and currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

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