From Publishers Weekly The grand opera of Brazilian public life is the backdrop for this engaging tragicomedy set in 1970 in Trindade， a small town in the provinces. With the town's citizens acting as a sort of Greek chorus， Polidoro， a wealthy cattle baron， and his former mistress， Caetana， an aging itinerant actress， engage in verbal sparring and explore their passions， their insecurities， and their country's loss of innocence. Twenty years after she vanished from Trindade， Caetana returns dramatically， demanding that Polidoro grant her heart's desire， as he promised when they were young lovers. Caetana wants to be Maria Callas for one night; and so Polidoro， still smitten， sets out to provide her with a theater and an audience. He enlists Trindade's prostitutes， its pharmacist--everyone except his wife， Dodo， who has never forgiven him for his affair. Naturally， Dodo gets wind of Caetana's arrival and does everything possible to sabotage her rival's performance. Pinon ( The Republic of Dreams ) assembles her cast slowly， but her story soon picks up speed. Especially notable is the juicy dialogue between the aging actress and her consort. Pinon's newest work is robust and colorful. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal Twenty years after deserting the Brazilian town of Trinidade， Caetana the actress announces her return. Under the influence of her nearly godlike local status and of the renewed public passion of her one-time lover， arrogant cattle baron Polidoro， thecitizens wait as for a messiah. When Caetana arrives， aged and obsessed with a mysterious operatic comeback--to involve all her admirers--she can hardly fail to disappoint， even devastate. This probing saga by the author of The Republic of Dreams (Univ. of Texas Pr.， 1991) lays bare the pervasiveness of time， selfishness， and illusion. Although never short of intrigue and drama， the book becomes repetitive， too long and complex for the story it tells. For Latin American and larger general fiction collections.- Janet Ingraham， Worthington P.L.， OhioCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews