If I Close My Eyes Now

Edney Silvestre

Language: English

Publisher: Doubleday

Published: Jan 1, 2013

Description:

A prize-winning murder mystery novel in which two boy detectives solve a crime in 1960s Brazil—a coming of age tale reminiscent of Niccolo Ammaniti's I'm Not Scared, Stand By Me, and *To Kill a Mockingbird*

If I close my eyes now, I can still feel her blood on my fingers. If only I had closed my eyes then, or kept my mouth shut, not told anyone about our discovery by the swimming hole, we could have gone back to dreaming about spaceships.

A horrifying discovery by two young boys while playing in a mango plantation marks the end of their childhood. As they finally open their eyes to the adult world, they see a place where storybook heroes don't exist, but villains and lies do. A bestseller in Brazil, this nostalgic murder mystery evokes the special nature of childhood friendships while painting a picture of a fascinating country.

**

Review

"Silvestre has fun with the murder mystery, but his real subject is Brazil, 'a country capable of advancing 50 years in only five of full democracy,' as it lurches out of the developing world."  —Guardian

"A whodunit and a coming-of-age novel set in a small town in Brazil . . . remarkable."  —Financial Times

About the Author

Edney Silvestre is a Brazilian writer and journalist who hosts a popular TV book program.