<blockquote> <p> Winner of the Friends of American Writers Award for Fiction </p> </blockquote> <p> As seamstresses, the young sisters Em&#205;lia and Luzia dos Santos know how to cut, mend, and conceal&#8212;useful skills in the lawless backcountry of Brazil, where ruthless land barons feud with bands of outlaw <i>cangaceiros</i>, trapping innocent residents in the crossfire. Em&#205;lia, a naive romantic, dreams of falling in love with a gentleman and escaping to a big city. Quick-tempered Luzia also longs for escape, finding it in her craft and secret prayers to the saints she believes once saved her life. But when Luzia is abducted by <i>cangaceiros</i> led by the infamous Hawk and Em&#205;lia stumbles into a marriage with the son of a wealthy and politically powerful doctor, the sisters' quiet lives diverge in ways they never would have imagined. </p>