The Portugese author chronicles the decline of empire and society in this vivid, powerful work of fiction, moving from the sufferings of an army officer being tortured for conspiracy to a former miner who dreams of 'flying underground' in Mozambique. Reprint. (view table of contents)

The winner of the Portuguese Writers' Association Grand Prize for Fiction presents a febrile, funny, sometimes shocking story, about the greedy son-in-law of an ailing Portuguese tycoon and his efforts to steal the family fortune.

Product Description: On the tenth anniversary of the return of their battalion from Mozambique, five men attempt to rekindle the fraternal bond that helped them survive the colonial war that was Portugal's Vietnam. In turn, they tell the stories of their lives before, during, and after the revolution that overthrew the long-lived Salazar dictatorship...read more

Disatisfied with his life, Rui S. decides to change things, starting with a divorce from his nagging wife, Marilia, but before he can find the courage to speak, she decides to leave him