The Invisible Lie of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Bathala

 The Invisible Lie of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Bathala 

What a writing talent Martha Batalha has! The words danced on the page and into my heart! I found myself smiling on every page. 

 

This story took place in the 1940s in Rio de Janerio, and boiled down to female empowerment, or in the two sisters’ cases, female suppression and dependence on men. Euridice and Guida lacked of control of their lives, had to be subordinate to men and the social norms of the time. Euridice’s imposed aim was to  be an obedient housewife, while Guida faced the shame and destitution of raising a child as a single mother. 

 

The narrative centered on Euridice and Guida, but it often veered off into clusters of entertaining vignettes about the other people in their lives—maybe a bit too much.

 

Here is a quote to give you a taste of the writing style. After Euridice’s husband tossed away the recipe book she had been working on for a long time, she said she still considered him a good husband and noted:

 

“And as long as his slippers were set parallel to the foot of the bed, his coffee was nearly scalding, there weren’t any fatty bits in the milk, the children didn’t run through the house, the sofa pillows were arranged the right way, the windows were closed no later than four o’clock, no racket was made before seven in the morning, the radio was never too loud or too soft, the bathrooms smelled like eucalyptus, and he never had to eat the same dish two meals running, he didn’t ask too much.” 

 

That reminds me of a Love in the Time of Cholera quote:  “He was a perfect husband: he never picked up anything from the floor, or turned out a light, or closed a door.”

(Read in 2025)

 

Happy Reading!

Annette