An Immaculate Deception
An Immaculate Deception is the debut novel of Brazilian writer, Isabela Livino – and what an impressive debut it is.
Described as Gothic fiction, the novel uses aspects of the genre, reinventing them for a new audience. Madalena is the central protagonist, a young, innocent woman in danger. But Madalena is not innocent: at Mass, she is overcome by nausea because she is pregnant—and single. In 1877, we know this will be a big deal. The first half of the novel is told from her perspective with abundant misunderstandings, and a complex, twisting plot. Meeting her aristocratic lover, Leandro, at the São João festival, Madalena is reassured by his positive response to the news about the baby, but a terrible accident (fittingly in a violent storm) puts a stop to any further plans.
The classic setting of a ruined castle is here replaced by a decaying sugar mill in the rugged terrain of Pernambuco in Brazil. Amidst the faded grandeur of the estate, Madalena recuperates, but things are no longer as they were. Echoes of Brazil’s colonial past exist in the derelict sugar mill, and the rusty shackles and abandoned senzala bear testament to the brutal conditions in which slaves lived. Dark, disturbing secrets are gradually uncovered.
The second half of the book is told from the perspective of Leandro, and is a clever reworking of events. This includes a skilfully handled and startling narrative twist that I, for one, didn’t see coming.
Livino creates a strong sense of time and place with meticulously researched detail on everyday life supplementing the weirdness. It is a powerful story, well-told, with all the uncanny atmosphere of a Gothic tale but providing a new exploration of female independence in a society dominated by powerful men and religion. Perhaps not so very different to those original Gothic novels. Highly recommended.
