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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Under our families’ and friends’ supportive gaze, Pedro and I start our lesson by listing all the ingredients in the Romário and Julieta cake. It’s been a big hit, with demand increasing, and now that we finally get to hire more bakers, we figured it would be a great opportunity to gather everyone and put a class together, so the new staff can learn to recite the recipe in their sleep.

Deals Deals cars still go up and down the Olinda streets, watching, lurking, but they know this time they can’t swallow us alive. Not while we’re together.

Mom begins typing carefully, whispering back and forth with Dona Eulalia. Seu Romário sits on a stool by the counter, his eyes focused on the ingredients. Our bakers peer over each other. And I know... I know Grandma is here with us, too.

It’s not like everything has been solved between all of us, like a lifted curse in a storybook. And I know we still have a lot to learn from each other and a lot to forgive. But standing side by side in the kitchen, together, seems like a new chapter in our families’ shared story, one full of hope.

I open the oven and a whiff of warm air escapes like a sigh. Salt is coming alive.

The End.

Or is it...?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Becoming a writer has been my dream ever since I was a kid, and I’m grateful for everyone who helped me through every step. Salt and Sugar definitely is the result of a group effort—a dream dreamed together with so many people in my life—and I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Márcia Carvalho. My mom was the best friend a daughter could wish for. She surrounded me with books and fought for my education despite all the adversities. I wrote Salt and Sugar in the years following her passing as a way to heal and reconnect with my childhood memories and I know she’d have been so proud of it. I love you, Mom. Saudades para sempre.

I want to thank my grandparents, Juliana and Arnaldo Carvalho, who raised me like I was one of their own children. They protected me and loved me, offering me the safest home where I could play, learn, and explore my first inklings of dreams. I want to thank my uncle Eduardo Carvalho, too, who was like a father to me and the best storyteller. I wouldn’t be a writer today if it weren’t for them. Muitas saudades. Rest in peace.