by Maria Firmina dos Reis
translated by Cristina Ferreira Pinto-Bailey
Tagus Press, 2021
eISBN: 978-1-951470-10-4 | Paper: 978-1-951470-09-8
Library of Congress Classification PQ9698.28.E5462U7 2021
Dewey Decimal Classification 869.33

ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
ABOUT THIS BOOK

Written within the literary conventions of the Romantic movement and published decades before other Brazilian abolitionist novels, Ursula (1859) offers a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of enslaved African and Afro-Brazilian characters. While readers follow the story of the plantation owner's daughter Ursula, her doomed romance with Tancredo, and her uncle's diabolical schemes to entrap her in marriage, the novel's power lies in Reis's characterization of the enslaved Africans Tulio, Susana, and Antero. Shown in all their humanity as they narrate their personal histories and give voice to the abuse and injustices they have endured, these characters tell of the horrors of the Middle Passage, the daily indignities they face, and the brutality of their masters.


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