The lush Amazon rainforests. A remote tribe. The steady encroachment of “civilization.” Against this backdrop, the all-too-human experiences of fear, love and loss become amplified with potentially disastrous consequences.
“This densely packed debut novel . . . demands that readers set aside their preconceptions about society and civilization and immerse themselves in the world of this small band of renegades, whose personal journeys are every bit as dark and dangerous as any voyage into Brazil’s wilderness.”
– Booklist, 9/1/2017
“Nancy Burke’s immersive debut novel . . . is a compelling examination of family set in verdant 1960s Brazil. . . . Readers will be mesmerized by Burke’s enigmatic prose and skillful character building. Fans of Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez will find much to enjoy here.”
– IndiePicks Magazine, 11/1/2017
“A titanic feat of imagination . . . dramatically powerful.”
– Terry Turner, award-winning anthropologist and human rights advocate
In 1960s Brazil, an indigenous group is on the brink of a tragedy, the dimensions of which they are only beginning to grasp. A small band of disaffected government agents, academics and visionaries is determined to fight for their cause. Among them is James who, along with his nephew Larry, travels to Pahquel, a village in the crosshairs of an environmental showdown. When James dies en route, Larry is left to decide: Should he attempt to escape his own personal demons by immersing himself in a completely foreign culture? Or retreat and resume his disaffected life in the U.S.? What costs will he bear if he chooses to press forward?
In this luminous first novel, Nancy Burke gives voice to the complexities of social, anthropological and environmental forces. Melding poetry with touches of magical realism, here is a page-turner of an adventure story that rests upon deep and unsettling layers of undergrowth.
About the author:
Nancy Burke is a psychoanalyst in private practice in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois. Her poetry has appeared in After Hours, The American Poetry Journal, Permafrost, and many other literary magazines. Her recording of original songs is American Goodbye. Undergrowth is her first novel.
6″ x 9″ * Fiction/Literary * October 2017 publication * $18.95 US/$24.95 CAN
ISBN-13: 978-0-9861541-6-4 * Original Trade Paperback
Also available in ebook formats
Trade distributor: PGW
Publicity contact: Mary Bisbee-Beek, [email protected]