Publication Date: May 3, 2013
Publisher: Press 53
Paperback; 190P
ISBN: 978-1935708834

Genre: General Fiction/Literary

A Hero for the People: Stories of the Brazilian Backlands is Arthur Power’s debut collection of short stories set in Contemporary Brazil, where he and his wife lived for almost 30 years.

“Set in the vast and sometimes violent landscape of contemporary Brazil, this book is a gorgeous collection of stories-wise, hopeful, and forgiving, but clear-eyed in its exploration of the toll taken on the human heart by greed, malice, and the lust for land.” (Debra Murphy, CatholicFiction.net).

Praise for A Hero for the People: Stories of the Brazilian Backlands

“This is a remarkable collection. The Brazil that Arthur Powers brings to life in these stories is a testing ground for the human heart, an alarmingly real place where the extremes of poverty and opulence, iniquity and justice, hate and love, bring his characters—and readers—face to face with life.” —Bernardo Aparicio García, Publisher of Dappled Things

“A Hero for the People is a stirring narrative about the people, history, and culture of Brazil. At root are the working-class men and women who sparkle with delight and labor in pain—and the reader is implicated intimately in their elemental emotions and vital experiences. This is a book where otherwise parched historical details become life stories worth imbibing, remembering, and repeating.” —Gregory F. Tague, Professor of English, General Editor of Editions Bibliotekos

“Arthur Powers is more than a totally captivating, adventurous storyteller. He is a wonderfully accomplished writer who enriches the reader’s experience of life, and is a mighty skillful reporter who knows the ins and outs of people and places. While his locations are often fascinatingly exotic, more importantly his people are always engagingly real! In short, Powers is in that rare company of authors who are impossible to put down!” —John Reid, director of the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest

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About the Author

Arthur Powers went to Brazil in 1969 and lived most his adult life there. From 1985 to 1997, he and his wife served with the Franciscan Friars in the Amazon, doing pastoral work and organizing subsistence farmers and rural workers’ unions in a region of violent land conflicts. The Powers currently live in Raleigh North Carolina.

Arthur received a Fellowship in Fiction from the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, three annual awards for short fiction from the Catholic Press Association, and 2nd place in the 2008 Tom Howard Fiction Contest. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many magazines & anthologies. He is the author of A Hero For The People: Stories From The Brazilian Backlands (Press 53, 2013) and The Book of Jotham (Tuscany Press, 2013).

Author Links

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A Hero for the People Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, August 11
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, August 13
Review at Onyx Book Château

Friday, August 15
Spotlight at Closed the Cover

Monday, August 18
Review at Book Nerd

Tuesday, August 19
Guest Post at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, August 20
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Thursday, August 21
Spotlight at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, August 27
Spotlight at Unshelfish

Thursday, August 28
Guest Post at The Bookworm

Monday, September 1
Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, September 4
Review at 100 Pages a Day – Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter

Friday, September 5
Review at A Bookish Affair

Monday, September 8
Review at Mel’s Shelves
Review at Savvy Verse & Wit

Wednesday, September 10
Review & Interview at 80 Acres and a Book

Friday, September 12
Review at A Rose in the City

Wednesday, October 8
Spotlight at Layered Pages

Thursday, October 9
Review at Book Dilettante