Júnia Ferreira Furtado offers a fascinating study of the world of a freed woman of color in a small Brazilian town where itinerant merchants; former slaves; Portuguese administrators; and concubines interact across social and cultural lines. The child of an African slave from the Costa da Mina and a Brazilian military nobleman of Portuguese descent; Chica da Silva won her freedom using social and matrimonial strategies. But the story of Chica da Silva is not merely the personal history of a woman; or the social history of a colonial Brazilian town. Rather; it provides a historical perspective on a woman's agency; the cultural universe she inhabited; and the myths that were created around her in subsequent centuries; as Chica de Silva came to symbolize both an example of racial democracy and the stereotype of licentiousness and sensuality always attributed to the black or mulatta female in the Brazilian popular imagination.
#803574 in Books Cambridge University Press 2004-01-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.98 x .59 x 5.98l; .73 #File Name: 052153366X242 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy CustomerThis book is a great introduction to the history if Islam and Islamic societies in Africa.2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Not too bad; but not very complete for advanced readersBy O. ShahadahOne of the issues is while claiming to have a "New" perspective -- and he did; he seemed to continue the old Eurocentric tradition of quoting only from other Europeans. I didn't see much in the way of citing Africans such as Mazrui; Ahmed S Banguara etc. It is hard to truly have anything new from old minds drawn out across White opportunism. (a reoccurring theme in African history). But he did do a relatively progressive job of dealing with the subject.The other issue was it was not heavy enough and I will have to buy someone else maybe that The History of Islam in Africa. Athens OH: Ohio University Press; 2000. But they do not have it in Kindle. And Kindle is the future.Forget about East Africa that was as another reviewer said almost foreign to this quick overview. But for a quick read and a refreshing Western take (from a non-Muslim) this is okay and if the price was $10 bucks not a bad investment0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great insight to the Muslim cultureBy musikman79This was one of my texts used for my African studies in grad school - excellent resource - I highly recommend this resource
