A roiling chronicle of motherhood and colonization from a writer who “alternates between a dramatic, high-octane style and a terse and humorous frankness” (Sheila Heti) Recipient of the 2021 Camões Prize, the most important award for literature in the Portuguese language A potent whirl of history, mythology, and grapevine chatter, The Joyful Song of the Partridge absorbs readers into its many hiding places and along the wandering paths of its principal characters, whose stark words will stay with you long after the journey is done. No one knows where Maria des Dores came from. Did she ride in on the armored spines of crocodiles, was she carried many miles in the jaws of fish? The only clear fact is that she is here, sitting naked in the river bordering a town where nothing ever happens. The townspeople murmur restlessly that she is possessed by perverse impulses. They interpret her arrival as an omen of crop failure or, in more hopeful tones, a sign that womankind will soon seize power from the greedy hands of men. As The Joyful Song of the Partridge unfolds, Paulina Chiziane spirals back in time to Maria’s true origins: the days of Maria’s mother and father when the pressure to assimilate in Portuguese-controlled Mozambique formed a distorting bond on the lives of black Mozambicans.

In a world where the only season was winter, human goddesses and gods have the role of revealing the developing cycle of seasons to the world.

For 200 years, Earth prospector ships traveled from star to star to connect wondrous new worlds to adventurous humankind. The Earth’s Triad Empire protected the fragile network of colonies with a nimble fleet. Immense wealth and power was tempered by ethical laws. The Deerborne family embodied all that was good. Knowledge abounded; they learned. Opportunities were countless; they achieved. Selfless sacrifice was critical; they volunteered. A flawed orphan came into their care; they adopted. Fate placed the Deerbornes at the center of a Triad crisis. In the midst of this golden era, the empire’s lifeblood began to fail. Commodity trades were twisted by greed. Intelligence agents who discovered problems became ineffective. Festering tensions became revolts against the empire. Freedoms for the people narrowed and the Triad reacted with excessive force. Experts blamed all ills on the mysterious pressers: aliens possessing no way to communicate with humans. As the Fleet activated the siege weapon Redemption, unexplained events intensified. Could the Deerbornes return peace to the Triad? Could they prevent genocide of the pressers? Then, warrior-aliens received an omen from a rogue comet: war with the Triad was coming.

“I now pronounce you husband and…” New York City, 1923 The most talked-about wedding is quickly approaching, and PI Jax Diamond is on top of the world. The tuxedos are freshly pressed and hanging in their closets. His good friend is busy decorating the nightclub for a glorious reception, and the newspaper reporters are anxiously waiting to print the front-page headlines. Even Ace, his courageous canine partner and best man, is prancing around, anxious for the event to begin. The only thing missing is the bride. Three days before the wedding, a group of mastermind criminals pull off the biggest diamond heist the city has ever seen, but that’s not the only gem they steal. And boy, do they have their hands full. Every police officer from Albany to Washington is summoned to work around the clock, hunting down the culprits. Will they find Laura in time to save her life, so she can take her vows? Easily reads as a standalone.

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"Captain Marvel starts a new era with a new look, new villains, and a new mission!"--