Agradece o beijo

Summary:

“‘Be good. Don’t cry. Don’t laugh out loud. Be polite. Be respectful. Smile. Let yourself be carried away. Be discreet. Be docile. Pretend to believe. Don’t make waves. Do as you’re told. Let yourself be guided. Don’t ask questions. Always say thank you. Be grateful for the kiss. Be grateful for the laugh. Appreciate the abuse. Keep smiling. Say thank you for the alms. Ask for forgiveness. Run away from pleasure. Don’t miss Mass. Look at the altar. I want you submissive.’ When Luísa is born, in the middle of the 20th century, Portugal is a grey country immersed in a dictatorship responsible for, among other things, restricting female freedom. In a world of men, something as simple as speaking and loving freely is not allowed to women. However, the restraints imposed by this society do not reach Luísa’s thoughts and, over time, she reflects on what she sees and those around her; on her mother’s submission in a marriage that lives on appearances; on her friendship with little Catarina and her discovery of the world; on Íman’s imprisonment in his body as a man. Luísa’s voice and that of a narrator who knows everything will be joined by those of the other characters, thus forming a kaleidoscope of stories revealing the various inner worlds that develop and coexist in the depths of each person. In a novel that portrays the reality of a difficult time in Portuguese history, Ana Zanatti masterfully weaves a plot that reminds the reader not only of the timelessness of love and the desire for freedom, but also of the chains that for a long time held individual wills under the power of a deeply sexist authority. “”Agradece o Beijo”” is therefore a pertinent portrait of the past with an eye to the present and the path that still needs to be travelled in the future.”