Part of Tetralogia do Mato
First published 2025
In 1817, German explorers Spix and Martius wrench two Indigenous children from their tribes in Brazil. Iñe-e, a young girl, and Juri, a boy from a rival group, find themselves captives on a ship bound for Europe. The explorers treat them as living specimens, part of their colonial collection. The children face a terrifying voyage across the Atlantic, torn from everything they know. Their story connects across centuries to Josefa, a young Brazilian woman searching for her roots in contemporary Brazil. When Josefa discovers Iñe-e's image in a museum exhibition, the encounter forces her to confront questions about her own identity and heritage. The novel moves between these two timelines, linking the trauma of colonial extraction to modern struggles with belonging. Verunschk gives voice to the stolen children, revealing their inner lives during their brutal journey. Both Iñe-e and Josefa must navigate worlds that deny their full humanity, searching for connection across the violence of history.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, 19th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, identity-crisis
Setting: Brazil, Europe, Atlantic Ocean
Period: 1817, Contemporary
192 pages · Hardcover · Liveright
Content warnings: colonialism