Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Jorge Amado · 1912–2001 · Brazil
Originally Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (Portuguese) · translated by Harriet de Onís
Why it matters
A widow remarries a steady, respectable man, only for her scoundrel first husband's ghost to return and reclaim her bed. Amado's sensuous comedy of desire, propriety, and Bahian magic.
At a glance
romancemagical realism
Difficulty 4/10medium pace552 pagesA straightforward comic narrative enlivened by a ghost, with no structural difficulty.
Where to go next
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Clarice Lispector · 1977The Hour of the StarLvl 7Slow burn
Rómulo Gallegos · 1929Doña BárbaraLvl 4Medium pace