TUDO É RIO

Tudo é rio is the debut novel by Carla Madeira. With a mature, precise, and at the same time delicate and poetic narrative, the novel tells the story of the couple Dalva and Venâncio, whose lives are transformed after a tragic loss caused by the husband’s obsessive jealousy. Lucy, the most depraved and coveted prostitute in the city, enters their lives, forming a love triangle.
On the book's cover, Martha Medeiros writes: “Tudo é rio is a masterpiece, and there is no exaggeration in what I say. It is one of those books that, once finished, makes you want to start again immediately, this time to linger on every line, savor each sentence, and be embraced by the poetry of the prose. On the first read, this slower immersion is almost impossible, as the current of events sweeps us to the last page without giving us a chance to breathe. One must stay afloat, or else we drown.”
The metaphor of the river is revealed through the narrative that flows—sometimes intense, sometimes gentler—in an uninterrupted manner, but also through sweat, saliva, blood, tears, and semen. Carla does this without being crude or using cheap sentimentality, with the skill that only the best writers possess.