"I will have to see why my mother was born there in Tijucopapo. And, if there is a war, it is her fault." With this striking opening, Marilene Felinto invites readers into her emblematic 1982 novel. Written when the author was just 22 years old, the story follows the narrator, Rísia, on a journey back to Tijucopapo—the fictional birthplace of her mother, inspired by the real town of Tejucupapo in Pernambuco. In the 17th century, this town was the site of a historic battle where local women fiercely defended their land against Dutch invaders. Interwoven within Rísia's journey is the enduring legacy of these legendary warrior women.

The novel is constructed as a literary stream of consciousness, blending historical, feminist, and anti-racist themes as Rísia travels back to this mythical land. Her journey is a reflective search for her origins, an attempt to process her childhood experiences and the pain of feeling marginalized in the metropolis of São Paulo. The strength of the Pernambuco warriors contrasts sharply with the vulnerabilities of Rísia, a poor girl from a large family who once used her stutter as a shield for her unexpressed anger. Breaking normative literary boundaries, the narrative brilliantly blurs the lines between fiction, personal testimony, and poetic discourse, illuminating the profound contradictions of Brazilian society.