Nana Howton
Burning Seasons
An unforgettable story of survival, sisterhood, and the struggle for a brighter future, based on the author's own experiences during Brazil's military dictatorship.
In 1970s Brazil, two teenage sisters are thrust into a chaotic world. Fear and hunger stalk them in a sugarcane town choked by a constant rain of ash, a testament to the toxic environment in which they are trying to grow. With only each other for comfort, they set out to search for their missing mother and the father they've never known.
Every road becomes a gauntlet, every stranger a potential threat. Yet, amidst the dangers, a fierce bond blossoms. Each sister clings to the other, a lifeline in a world teetering on the brink. Their dignity is their own quiet rebellion.
Burning Seasons lays bare the scars of a nation, the plight of marginalised people, and the silent suffering of women, girls, and the environment itself. It's also a story of resilience and the power of love - a journey in which innocence seems lost, but hope burns defiant.
Critic Feedback
“First novel, it attracts for its soul and the seriousness of things.” Jean-Paul Gavard-Perret, Free Critics
“A magnificent book that deserves to be read, known and recognized,” Annie Forest Certified professor, doctor of modern letters, knight in the Order of Academic Palms, France
“Very well written, therefore very well translated, it will be very difficult for a reader to put it down and move on to something else. “ Lyvres
“Coup des cœurs” Place des libraries ( the Association of Bookstores favorites)
“It’s the novel about deforestation” Eddy Caekelberghs, Radio Television Franco Belgium RTFB
“Two girls, victims of sexism and violence, but after many adventures, the book ends on a positive note. One must be optimistic about the future!” Jordi Batallé, Radio France International, Spanish Language
“Thank you, Nana Howton, for this beautiful book!” Michèle Petit, Anthropologist, CNRS, France; author of “The Art of Reading or How to Resist Adversity.”
about the author
An American writer of Brazilian origin, Naná Howton is a graduate of Stanford University and holds an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University. She has attended the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Skidmore College, and San Francisco State University. Her short stories and essays have been published in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and the United States.
She has won a Reader’s Circle Award and an Editor’s Choice Award. She has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and The Best American Short Stories. Saisons des Feux (Burning Seasons) is her debut novel published in France in 2023, released in Australia, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth this past summer.
Visit her website at nanahowton.com↗.