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Back The Woman in Red Save as PDF
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

These frigates wouldn’t be able to cross into the shallow waters of the lagoon, but they would make an escape by sea impossible. They were commonly used by the Imperial Brazilian Navy when facing a large foreign navy, but rarely were they used on rebels. For a moment I felt some hope that we would survive this, but then in the gaps between the large ships came dozens of smaller vessels loaded with cannons and men. I watched in horror as these ships crossed the sand bar, their cannons firing as they approached. My heart raced. We weren’t prepared for a battle of such scale.

Thick gray smoke filled the air in large billowing clouds, seeping into my very being. I tried to cough and spit it out as I worked, doing my best not to let it slow me down. I was engrossed in my task when José grabbed my arm, spinning me around to face him.

“I need you to pass a message to General Canabarro for me.”

“No!” General Canabarro was on the other side of Laguna, and there was no way that I was going to leave José. “I am staying here.”

“You are my sailor and you will do exactly what I say when I say it! You made a promise to me, Anita! So help me God, I will flog you.”

We stared at each other as bullets flew past our heads. “Fine!” I relented. “What am I to tell him?”

“Tell Canabarro to send more men. Whatever he has. I want you to stay there and have a messenger bring back a response.”

“Aye, Captain!” I yelled, giving José a mock salute. He grabbed my arm, spinning me back to him as I began to walk away. He pulled me close, giving me a rough, passionate kiss before releasing me to the rowboat.

Small violent waves rocked the boat, threatening our stability. Cannon smoke oozed over the water around us as we made our way to shore. I had a job to do, whether I liked it or not. When we landed, I took a horse and rode as fast as I could through Laguna to Canabarro.

The Imperial navy was not only targeting José and his ships, they were punishing Laguna for harboring the rebels. Cannon fire bombarded the city, causing panic and mayhem among the citizens. It was only a matter of time before the Imperial forces made their way into town to avenge Imaruí. I wove my horse through the streets between people running for safety and debris from falling buildings. The town was in utter chaos; for a moment I wondered if there were any familiar faces in the crowd. However, I regained my focus as a cart rolled in front of me, making my horse swerve at the last minute.