Cantoras

August 19, 2019
This sensuous tale from De Robertis (The Gods of Tango) takes readers to the author’s native Uruguay during the 1970s to follow the harrowing lives of five women living under dictatorship. Bonded as cantoras, or “women who sing” (a coded term for lesbians at the time), Flaca, Romina, Anita, Malena, and Paz escape the oppression of their country’s new regime and enjoy freedom at Cabos Polonio, a little known beach. Flaca is a risk taker who bucks tradition; Paz, a 16-year-old romantic just discovering who she is; Romina, a revolutionary who continues to fight despite punishment; Malena, a mysterious one hiding a dark past; and Anita, a beautiful housewife with dreams beyond her marriage. Back home in Montevideo, people disappear and women are raped, but in Polonio, relationships and romance flourish. Over the course of 35 years, these friends and lovers form a makeshift family as they struggle to find their place and awake to their true desires. After the dissolution of the civic-military dictatorship in 1985, formerly forbidden romances are allowed to take root and the characters learn how to live under democracy. De Robertis does a fine job of probing the harsh realities of what it takes to carve out a life of freedom under an oppressive government.

Carolina De Robertis is author and narrator of this historical novel about prohibited love during the 1970s in Uruguay. Fans of literary fiction will applaud her decision to narrate since she captures the lyricism of her prose with style and grace. Those seeking new voices in world literature will be delighted to discover her tender, careful treatment of her five female protagonists--lesbians forced into hiding for fear of government reprisal. De Robertis meticulously characterizes Romina, Flaca, Anita, Paz, and Malena so that the listener remains oriented in each woman's particular part of the story. The chapters weave together under her care to create a portrait of a nation during a turbulent time and the power of women's resilience. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine