Review: The Brazilian Husband by Rebecca Powell
I've always had a fascination with South American culture. This, coupled with the Olympics happening in Rio this year made this book top of my reading pile when it landed on my desk at work. This book exhaled the love it had for a country that has often been overlooked, even by those who lead it. And for me this was the thing that stayed with me, this pure, almost stubborn love for a damaged country with the strongest heart.
First, a summary:
Judith Summers' Brazilian and wheel-chair bound husband, Edson, commits suicide in the opening of the book and we, like Judith, are left wanting to hang onto some semblance of hope. Having organised a trip for him to try and bring him out of his depression, Judith decides to go to Brazil with her daughter Rosa anyway, along with Edson's ashes so that they can 'bring him back home.'
Upon reaching Brazil Judith tries to track down Edson's family and ends up meeting meets Ricardo, *with a very rolled R* a sexy, troubled lawyer who helps run a children's shelter and campaigns for the people's rights in Brazil. As the story unfolds and Ricardo helps Judith and Rosa track down Edson's family, secrets surrounding who Edson was begin to spill and fall from unexpected places...
I'm going to give you 5 reasons as to why you should read this book.
5. It's independently published
But it's done well. I am very pro-independently publishing your work (even though I work for a publishing house) and this is independent publishing done right. It's got an awesome cover, a great and determined author behind it and a great storyline. The marketing - using good reads, social media and bloggers has been outstanding and Rebecca really deserves the best of praise for this novel. It's extremely professional.
4. It features a troubled hunk who also happens to be a lawyer OH AND a rights activist.
Yeah. I knew that would get you hooked. We all love a good romantic tale, particularly one interspersed with the excitement and thrill of a place like Brazil AND pierced with well-placed suspense. Ricardo is the silver-haired widow, the kind of guy we'd all love to just give a hug and maybe a kiss or two. My only slight issue with him was that I felt he was a little bit too perfect, but worse things have been done to characters so, I'm not really going to dwell on that part.
3. The main character has a rocky, depressing past that we can all relate to
I know this happens with a lot of main first person perspective characters, The Girl on the Train's Rachel just being one, but Rebecca Powell manages to actually keep Judith a likable character (unlike some). Judith has had the shitty boyfriends and been alone in a time where she really needed someone. She has a stroppy teenager who drives her crazy and she gave up everything to be with a man who didn't necessarily want her anyway. She's a character we can all relate to and get on board with and that is something that really drives this book even if sometimes her back story makes us want to stand in the pouring rain and look like David Tennant.
2. It has twists and twists and then some
We all like a good twist. There's a reason domestic noir fiction and suspense thrillers are rocketing into the charts at 100mph. People like to be taken on a bit of a ride. And this book certainly does that. There are reveals, hidden and suppressed secrets, arguments and tragic accidents and they are all brought into the story with enough clarity and enough shock. Each twist and reveal has been carefully considered and structured and it makes for very easy and enjoyable reading.
1. It shows Brazil in so many different lights
When you think of Brazil you think of three things: Crime, Cachaça and the Olympic Games. But we don't actually know that much about Brazil as a place. This book enlightens readers - we learn about the corrupt politics, the drug and sex trafficking problems, the poverty, the desperation. But Rebecca doesn't just paint Brazil as a place of despair which would be easy to do given the problems the country faces, she paints it as a beautiful place with soul and a heart, a place so filled with joy and colour and mega football supporters. It's such a lovely combination of emotions that you feel for this place that it almost becomes its own character.
So that is why I think you should read The Brazilian Husband. You can buy a copy here and it's free if you're on Kindle Unlimited.