Caetana's Sweet Song.

• Author: Mujica, Barbara

Readers familiar with Jorge Amado's robust Brazilian novels will recognize Nelida Pinon's cast of characters: the powerful landowner; the luscious and lusty babe; the snobby, up-tight society lady; the town poet; the corrupt official; the chorus of prostitutes. However, Pinon's uniquely feminine perspective throws new light on old archetypes. While Amado's he-men and earthy women fulfill distinctly male fantasies, Pinon's characters do not fulfill any fantasies at all. Instead, they incarnate the insecurity, confusion, fear and sadness that permeate small-town Brazil.

Pinon's protagonists are Polidoro Alvez, a manipulative cattle baron who owns vast tracts of land, and Caetana, an itinerant actress and circus performer. The two engage in a torrid love affair for which Polidoro's stuffy, ambitious wife Dodo never forgives him. Caetana puts an end to the romance by disappearing unexpectedly, leaving Polidoro to pine. For the next twenty years the cattle baron nurtures and embellishes his memories, fantasizing about his extraordinary sexual prowess. And then, one day, Caetana announces her return.

To Polidoro's chagrin, Caetana is not interested in renewing the affair. After spending twenty years playing small-town theaters and make-shift circus rings, she knows she is a failure. What she wants now is one last stab at glory. She demands that Polidoro grant her a wish he promised long ago. Caetana wants to be Maria Callas for just one night. Dutifully, Polidoro has the decrepit movie theater decorated with artistic pretensions, in order to create the illusion of a grand opera. Caetana teaches her cast, the town prostitutes and the local pharmacist, to mouth the words to La Traviata. However, Dodo catches wind of what is going on and finds her own way to bring the house down.

By depicting the...