From one of Brazil s most acclaimed young novelists, the mesmerizing story of a troubled young man s violent struggle with his family s past
A young man s father, close to death, reveals to his son the true story of his own father s end. The mean oldgaucho was murdered by some fellow villagersat a Sunday dance in Garopaba, a sleepy town on the Atlantic nowfamous for its surfing and fishing. It was a sort of execution, vigilante style. Or so the story goes.
The unnamed young man, who loves swimming in the sea and has no strong ties to home, strikesout for Garopaba without being quite surewhy. He builds a simple life and tries to find out more about his grandfather. But information doesn t come easily. Arareneurological condition means that he doesn trecognize the faces of people he s met, leadingto frequent awkwardness and occasional hostility. Life in Garopaba gets complicated until it becomes downright dangerous.
Atmospheric, both languid and tense, and soaked in the sultry allure of south Brazil, "Blood-Drenched Beard "announces one of the greatest youngBrazilian writers to the English-speaking world. Daniel Galera s spareand powerful prose unfolds a story of discoverythat feels archetypal and builds with oceanic force."