One of the most acclaimed books by Angolan author José Eduardo Agualusa, Queen Ginga gets a new edition under the Tusquets label of Editora Planeta. In the historical novel, Agualusa presents a narrative inspired by the life of Ana de Sousa, a queen who directly influenced the formation of Angola, both in cultural and social aspects, and explores the diplomatic and political relations between Angola, Brazil and Portugal, exposing the similarities and conflicts in these countries.
Ana de Sousa – also known as Ginga or N’Zinga M’Bandi – was a queen who ruled a vast territory on the west coast of Africa in the 17th century. She was recognized for her courage, eccentricity and skillful and strategic management of political and diplomatic relations. Respect for the people, the ruler left a legacy by making alliances with the Dutch, fighting battles against Portuguese and Portuguese-Brazilian troops and by having a collection of husbands who were forced to wear women’s clothing.
Book A Rainha Ginga – José Eduardo Agualusa @ publicity
The work is told through the vision of Pernambuco priest Francisco José de Santa Cruz, appointed as the queen’s secretary, and whose mission was to mediate diplomatic relations between the territory of Ginga and Portugal. By having contact with multiple cultures, Francisco brings plurality to the narrative, navigating socioeconomic issues without favoritism, exposing internal and external conflicts and discussing slavery and the impacts it had on the formation of the African country.
In “A Rainha Ginga”, Agualusa describes the cultural and social aspects of Angolan society, highlights the importance of the strong and controversial female figure that was Ana de Sousa and leaves a record of her story that, until then, had been forgotten.
DATASHEET:
Title: Queen Ginga
Author: José Eduardo Agualusa
ISBN: 978-85-422-2514-3
208 pages
R＄ 59.90
Cover photography: José Eduardo Agualusa
Tusquets stamp | Planeta Publishing
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