MY SWEET-ORANGE TREE

by Jose Mauro de Vasconcelos ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 27, 1970

An import from Brazil, translated from the Portuguese--a veritable rain forest of sentiment concerning small deaths, loss and renewal in the life of a poor, abused five-year-old child, Zeze. A dreamer of dreams, a mild hell-raiser, affectionate and enterprising, Zeze can charm his way into a loving partnership with a street singer, entertain a small brother with visits to a magnificent hen house ""zoo,"" brighten the bleak life of an unattractive teacher, create a chatty companion from an accommodating orange tree. But he cannot evade the despair, frustration and tension of his family--his mother, a defeated factory serf, his father out of work, with another brother and sister who always seemed far away, Gloria (who stood up for him) and little brother Luis. Finally it is Mr. Ladislau ""The Portuguese"" who brings the dreams of love and companionship to fruition, who becomes a loving father, who doesn't believe that Zeze is a cheat and a liar, and who offers a miraculous escape from the grief and terror of a vicious family beating. But the Portuguese is killed in an accident and Zeze is ill from shock. He recovers as a disillusioned alien from his real father, from his dreams. Zeze is blindingly precocious, the situations tumescent with emotion, however the narrative is as busy as a cage of cockatoos. This novel was a best seller in Brazil, raising considerably, no doubt, the saline content of the Amazon.

Pub Date: July 27, 1970

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1970

Categories: FICTION