Books like A Índia by Petala Parreira

In this expansive historical novel, Petala Parreira transports readers to mid‑nineteenth‑century Brazil, painting a stark portrait of slavery’s cruelty and the rampant racism that enabled the exploitation of women and children. The narrative concentrates on the tangled relationships of enslaved and mixed‑race women, who are subjected to forced prostitution as a means of survival and a grim attempt to secure better futures for themselves or their families. The novel examines the ways in which the institution of slavery not only strips dignity but also erodes personal agency, leaving its subjects with no choice but to endure subjugation. With over a thousand pages of vivid detail, the work weaves themes of endurance, loss, and the oppressive force of sexual commodification in a society built on exploitation.

First publish date: 2015