"A compelling and fascinating narrative of life among immigrant pioneers in northern Paraná early in the 20th century. Protagonist Old José is in a hospital bed for the last seven days of his life. His grandson narrates the family's history, and what he does not know is completed by the old man's memory. The narrators do not realize that they are partners in recounting their family's saga, including the years of working the red soil which demanded the sweat and blood of immigrants and their descendants before allowing its fruits to grow and be harvested"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.