The mysteries of village life come into focus for a young Brazilian who ventures into the interior of northeast Brazil to work at a federally funded health post. His relationships with his secretary and an American Peace Corps Volunteer and the political intrigues surrounding a local election immerse him in interwoven trails of violence, love, poverty, prostitution, and insanity. The landscape becomes as much a character as the quaint villagers who flavor the action of this expansive tale. The Amazon huntress, Iracema, for whom the village is named, is a vital presence in the folklore of...