A review by blueyorkie
Jubiabá by Jorge Amado

5.0

Jubiabá narrates the life of Antônio Balduíno (Baldo), a black boy, raised by his aunt, Luísa, at Morro do Capa Negro, in Salvador. With the death of his aunt, Baldo goes to live in the house of a commander, where he meets his daughter, Lindinalva, for whom he has an intellectual and obsessive passion. Baldo runs away from the commander's house after being accused by Amélia, the cooker of the house, of looking maliciously at Lindinalva. He becomes head of a band of street children who roamed the city begging. After growing up, can no longer receive alms in the city and returns to the hill and becomes experienced in the game of capoeira, composer of sambas - which later sold - and starts to frequent the macumbas of pai-de-Santo Jubiabá. After fighting with a soldier from whom he stole the bride - Maria dos Reis - he was invited to become a boxer. Upon discovering that Lindinalva is about to get married, she despairs, loses concentration and ends up being knocked out by a Peruvian fighter. He starts to be accused of having sold himself and, then he decides to embark on a sloop towards Cachoeira, where he stays for a while working. He fights the foreman Zequinha and, after a while hidden in the bush to avoid retaliation, he sneaks on a train to the Market of Santana. He returns to Salvador and finds out that Lindinalva became a prostitute and has a son. On the verge of death, Lindinalva asks Baldo to take care of her son. To raise Gustavo, the son of his beloved, Balduíno is employed on the stowage and engages in a labour strike, becoming the leader of the revolution. After becoming famous, he finally gains an alphabet that narrates the saga of his life.