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A review by hooked_on_books
The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles

5.0

The Air You Breathe is a love story of the friendship between Dores and Graca, who first meet as children on the plantation of Graca's family. The story is told by Dores, an orphaned kitchen girl who is somewhere between slave and servant, and who adores the selfish, privileged, self-centered Graca who takes insatiably. The story follows them to a boarding school then Rio, where they make their way into the world of music. Their friendship is complex and evolves through the book though their bond never breaks. Graca is an infuriating character, but works well in the book, as de Pontes Peebles carefully weaves toward and away from her so she never becomes too overwhelming a presence. I found this book to be a remarkable work and felt I learned a bit about 1930s-40s Brazil while being completely drawn into the story of these two friends. I'm already looking for de Pontes Peebles' backlist, as I think her writing is marvelous. I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.