O Guarany: romance brazileiro, Vol. 1 (of 2)

by José Martiniano de Alencar

"O Guarany: romance brazileiro, Vol. 1 (of 2)" by José Martiniano de Alencar is a novel published in 1857. Set in 1604 colonial Brazil, it follows Peri, a Goitacá Indian who has devoted himself to protecting Cecília, the daughter of Portuguese nobleman Dom Antônio de Mariz. When the dangerous adventurer Loredano arrives at the family's remote castle-like home, he begins plotting to kidnap Cecília and overthrow the household. A foundational text of Brazilian Romanticism, the novel blends adventure, Gothic elements, and themes of freedom and indigenous identity.