Alentejo Blue
Monica Ali
Transworld
<p>An evocative tale of belonging and exile by one of Britain's best young novelists.<p><I>Alentejo Blue </I>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.<p> 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 café 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.<p>At the book's opening an old man reflects on his long and troubled life in this beautiful and seemingly tranquil setting,...</p></p></p></p>