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Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. Part One
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Part Two
  20. Fourteen
  21. Fifteen
  22. Sixteen
  23. Seventeen
  24. Eighteen
  25. Nineteen
  26. Twenty
  27. Twenty-One
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Part Three
  33. Twenty-Six
  34. Twenty-Seven
  35. Twenty-Eight
  36. Twenty-Nine
  37. Thirty
  38. Thirty-One
  39. Thirty-Two
  40. Thirty-Three
  41. Thirty-Four
  42. Thirty-Five
  43. Thirty-Six
  44. Thirty-Seven
  45. Thirty-Eight
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. Forty
  48. Forty-One
  49. Forty-Two
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. Fifty-Two
  61. Fifty-Three
  62. Epilogue
  63. Author’s Note
  64. Acknowledgments
  65. Discover More
  66. Reading Group Guide
  67. Discussion Questions
  68. ESSAY FROMDIANA GIOVINAZZO
  69. Antoinette’s Sister
  70. Chapter One
  71. Chapter Two
  72. About the Author
  73. Praise forThe Woman in Red

Rio Capivari rested on the edge of a small lagoon. On the other side General Gonçalves owned some property where he was able to smuggle goods through to sustain us—goods he paid for out of his own pocket, as he did for most things in this war. However, Gonçalves wasn’t among the plebes, struggling every day. He rode for Brasília, to kiss the ring of the new king and find an end to this war.

Standing in the cold night air, I watched my husband climb into a skiff that silently slipped into the ink-black water of the lagoon. The soldiers were so quiet that all I could hear was the lapping of the water against the boat and the shore. I wrapped my thin shawl tightly over my shoulders as my heart broke for my husband.

He had once been a man of such pride. Now he looked like a flower that had begun to wilt. I thought of the Rio Grande and all the ships that he had commanded once upon a time in Laguna. We’d all had such pride then. We were certain that we were destined for glory. We would be revolutionaries for this new republic. Now most of our friends were gone and José rode a canoe that could barely float.

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Four

November 1840

The Imperial army tracked us from São Simão. It was only a matter of time before they would make their way here. With that threat looming just over the horizon, the decision was made to go in waves to the safety of São Gabriel.

To get there we had to travel through the highest section of the southern Brazilian highlands. There we would find refuge with those who were sympathetic to our cause. José and I were to leave in the first wave, the vast majority of the soldiers and their families marching alongside us. Rossetti was to take the second wave with his printing press, and a third wave of soldiers would travel with General Canabarro.

Rippling gray clouds filled the skies as we loaded the wagons. I moved Menotti from one hip to the other as I watched José and Rossetti loading the printing press onto a wagon.

“I don’t understand why you must take this ridiculous contraption,” José complained as Rossetti helped him load goods into the cart.

“Because if I don’t, no one else will.”

José threw his arms into the air in exasperation. “We don’t need the printing press.”

“We need to be able to stay in contact with our brothers in Italy. They need to know our plight.” He leaned against the wagon briefly, wiping sweat from his brow.