From well-known Brazilian playwright Francisco Azevedo, a heartwarming debut novel about three generations of a family whose kitchen contains the secret ingredient for happiness--sure to appeal to fans of Like Water for Chocolate.

Once upon a time there was some rice. Rice planted in the earth, fallen from the sky, and gathered up from the stone. Rice that doesn't spoil, it came from far away, by ship with three exuberant young people filled with dreams...

Once Upon a Time in Rio is a spellbinding family saga beginning with Jose Custodio and Maria Romana and their...