Alentejo Blue

Alentejo Blue
Monica Ali

Set in a hot summer of rural Portugal, Alentejo Blue follows the colored threads of different lives as they cross and recross in the tangle of small town life. There are those who have lived in Mamarrosa their entire lives, those who left and came back full of wisdom about the greater world, and those who fled their lives in other places for the exotic quiet of a foreign village. A drunk English writer, an engaged couple, a destitute family, a fat chef. Each character wrestles through quirks and needs to make decisions, sometimes whether to go abroad, sometimes whether to light a match. Their decisions form patterns in the village tapestry.

Unfortunately, none of the characters were compelling: small town folk making difficult mistakes and not resolving anything. The only person I found myself rooting for was the girl who was going abroad to work; disappointing in a book about a village. And, characteristically, even she makes terrible decisions and is ignored by the consequences. Lack of resolution gave an otherwise promising book a flabby, unfinished feel. It's a pity; the title was so intriguing.