The Fifteen
Rachel de Queiroz · 1910–2003 · Brazil
Originally O Quinze (Portuguese)
Why it matters
A family is driven from their land by the catastrophic drought of 1915, rendered with an unsentimental, exacting eye. Published when its author was nineteen, and a founding text of the Brazilian drought novel.
At a glance
historical fictionfamily saga
Difficulty 3/10medium pace176 pagesPlain, unsentimental prose tells a linear story of drought and displacement.
Where to go next
Rachel de Queiroz · 1939The Three MariasLvl 3Medium pace
Graciliano Ramos · 1938Barren LivesLvl 6Slow burn
Jorge Amado · 1958Gabriela, Clove and CinnamonLvl 3Fast paced
Clarice Lispector · 1977The Hour of the StarLvl 7Slow burn
João Guimarães Rosa · 1956The Devil to Pay in the BacklandsLvl 9Slow burn
Ricardo Güiraldes · 1926Don Segundo SombraLvl 5Medium pace