A man writes a letter to the daughter he has never met, telling her how fear made him lose true love. His life story takes the reader on a journey to the end of the world, to the Indochinese territory that was formerly called Cochinchina, and among unforgettable characters such as a father who erects walls of silence, a mother who makes rainbows of music, a servant girl almost as old as the world, a friend who wears women’s clothes, and a mistress who carries forbidden flavors and perfumes.

The story of a compliant boy who grows up and becomes a man, at the crossing of geographies and identities. An intimate story of regret, disillusionment and obsession, and a quest for one’s true self and happiness.

FINALIST OF LIVRARIA BERTRAND’S BOOK OF THE YEAR

 

“This novel is undoubtedly one of Afonso Cruz’s most straightforward, concise and at the same time most beautiful works”. Gonçalo Correia, Observer

“Cruz forces us to delve into our own humanity, into our most elementary concepts of good and evil, into a reflection on happiness and love”. Joana Aroso, Intro Magazine

“A true writer, as original as he is profound, whose books amaze readers, forcing them to stray from common certainties and open up to new realities”. Miguel Real, Jornal de Letras

 

200 pages – Original Language: Portuguese (Companhia das Letras, 2018).  Foreign Editions: Croatian (Bozicevic, 2025); Brasil (Companhia das Letras), Serbia (Cigoja stampa), Slovakia (Portugalsky Institút), Colombia (Panamericana).