Gabriela, Cengkih, dan Kayu Manis

Title: Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon
Author: Jorge Amado
Translator: Ingrid Nimpoeno
Publisher: Serambi, Dec 2014
659 pages

Gabriela, Cengkih dan Kayu Manis is a Brazilian novel written down by Jorge Amado in 1958. This is an old romantic tale in a small Brazilian town during the 1920s. The town is famous for its cacao crops, old tradition, violent political takeovers, revenge against unfaithful women and the like.

Let's get into the town and enjoy the romance between Najib, a respectable bar owner of Syirian origin and his new cook, Gabriela, an innocent and beautiful migrant worker. This is not a simple love story since they will deal with the status gap, culture and people's gossip. It's interesting to peek into everyday's life in this small town. They have lots of different topics to discuss from cacao plantation, love affairs, even political matters. 

It's a celebration of political, social and local cultures. Entertaining panorama of small town Brazilian life with wonderful stories and vivid characters. You will feel that you're a part of them. 

The author, Jorge Amado --novelist, journalist, lawyer-- was born in 1912, the son of a cacao planter in Ilheus, south of Salvador, the provincial capital of Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon. Amado's works have been translated into more than 35 languages. Some of his books also have been adapted into movies. He died in 2001.

This book made me laugh and feel great all throughout the story. I am thinking to find Amado's other works. Highly recommended.

2 comments:

alaya March 22, 2015 at 10:50 AM  

look interesting. i'll look for this book )

riana March 23, 2015 at 5:57 PM  

@alaya: I am also looking for Amado's other books.