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“To suffer and do nothing is to be nothing, while to suffer and do something is to become someone.”
The loss of a loved one is an emotional wound that can create lasting scars. This is the pain that is shared by the protagonists of the three sections of this emotional novel, all set in a remote rural area of Portugal.
In search of an artefact that would change human history, Tomas sets off on a road trip. It is 1904, and the machine he drives is both adversary and ally as he moves through rural landscapes where an automobile is as rare a sighting as an exotic animal.
Always carried with him is the pain of the sudden deaths of his partner and their son, the emotional centre of his life.
Battling angry locals, the elements and his own anguish, he goes from village to village, in search of an artefact he barely believes in himself.
Three decades later, a bereaved pathologist has a strange encounter with the widow of a man who was deeply affected by something Tomas did on his journey. As the man’s autopsy takes place, a fantastical series of discoveries unfolds.
Another 50 years later, a Canadian politician and his simian companion revisit the land of his forefathers. While the village is surprisingly accepting of a man whose companion is a chimpanzee, for Peter and Odo their newfound liberty is a challenging adjustment.
Grieving the death of his beloved wife, Peter must also seek acceptance from his family for his dramatic change of living circumstances.
The mysterious and sometimes illogical events in this novel are not unexpected from the author of the celebrated Man Booker prize-winning novel Life of Pi. Although this is not a good choice for readers searching for a tidy narrative with easy answers, the thought-provoking philosophical story-telling will appeal for those who love to take a mental leap of faith.
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