"Nine narratives address various aspects of Brazilian history through the 500 years since the collision of European and indigenous cultures in the coastal and backland areas of the country. Stories reflect Portuguese grammar structure and vocabulary that were predominant during the time period. Intriguing and innovative, novel reveals many dimensions of Brazilian identity, all linked by the metaphoric and emblematic image of 'innumerable rivers' running throughout the land"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.