''Alentejo Blue'' is the story of the Portuguese
village of Mamarrosa told through the lives of those who
live there and those who are passing through - men and
women, children and old people, locals, tourists and
expatriates. For some, such as Teresa, a beautiful,
dreamy village girl, it is a place from which to escape;
for others - the dysfunctional Potts family - it is a
way of running from trouble (but not eluding it). Vasco,
a cafe owner who has never recovered from the death of
his American wife, clings to a notion that his years in
America make him superior to the other villagers. One
English tourist makes Mamarrosa the subject of her
fantasy of a new life, while for her compatriots, a
young engaged couple, Mamarrosa is where their dreams
finally fall apart. At the book's opening an old man
reflects on his long and troubled life in this beautiful
and seemingly tranquil setting, and anticipates the
return of Marco Afonso Rodrigues, the prodigal son of
the village and a symbol of this now fast-changing
world.The homecoming is the subject of continuing
speculation, and when Marco Afonso Rodrigues does
finally appear, villagers, tourists and expatriates are
brought together and jealousies, passions and
disappointments must inevitably collide. |
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