![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Throughout the novel, Dona Flor is divided between the much-felt physical absence of her first, dead husband, Vadinho, a drunkard, a drug addict, a rascal - yet a good lover in the bedroom, and the failed presence of Teodoro Madureira, her second, living husband, a tranquil, rather bland pharmacist - yet sincerely in love with Dona Flor. She ultimately asks the writer, ‘why one always needs two loves, why one alone does not satisfy the heart?’ This cake is of course symbolical of Dona Flor herself, as the only thing the two husbands have in common, apart from Dona Flor herself clearly, is love of this special Brazilian corn or manioc cake. ![]() The novel opens with Dona Flor responding to the writer’s request of getting her recipe for corn cake by discussing her private life, torn between two husbands - one dead, one living. I already know what is swirling around in your heads: is this week’s blog post going to talk about infidelity and carnal pleasures, and are Amy and Nico recommending a rather dubious-sounding book? Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands is not for the abstinent: detailed recipes of luxurious Brazilian food, interspersed with carnivalesque descriptions of love scenes and frequent complaints about an excessive absence of sex with the beloved one, spice up the life of Dona Flor dos Guimarães (or Florípedes Paiva Madureira, after her second husband). ![]()
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