Cantoras
In defiance of the brutal military government that took power in Uruguay in the 1970s, and under which homosexuality is a dangerous transgression, five women miraculously find one another—and, together, an isolated cape that they claim as their own.
Over the next thirty-five years, they travel back and forth from this secret sanctuary, sometimes together, sometimes in pairs, with lovers in tow or alone. Throughout it all, they will be tested repeatedly—by their families, lovers, society, and one another—as they fight to live authentic lives.
A groundbreaking, genre-defining work, Cantoras is a breathtaking portrait of queer love, community, forgotten history, and the strength of the human spirit.
Over the next thirty-five years, they travel back and forth from this secret sanctuary, sometimes together, sometimes in pairs, with lovers in tow or alone. Throughout it all, they will be tested repeatedly—by their families, lovers, society, and one another—as they fight to live authentic lives.
A groundbreaking, genre-defining work, Cantoras is a breathtaking portrait of queer love, community, forgotten history, and the strength of the human spirit.
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Community Reviews
Cantoras had me on a roller-coaster of emotions. Shock, fear, anger, hopeful, scared,peaceful and sadness. The lives of these woman coming together through similarities of their sexuality and the lived experiences in the years of military control and dictatorship was pretty remarkable. I was rooting for them all to find the freedom and happiness they so desperately deserved. I thought getting through the years under military control would be the hardest they would face, but it was actually just the beginning. So much of their pasts had unresolved secrets and pain. Cantoras reads like more than a fictional story. It's historical facts molded into the lives of these five woman that I feel were so incredible real. And just when I thought the painful moments were coming to an end I learned of Malena's full story. And the similarities of dictatorship and fascism in our present day government rule....this story will surely stay with me.
Content warning for state-sponsored violence, kidnapping, abuse, sexual violence, murder, homophobia, medical abuse, suicide, and related topics. This was a hard book to read, but it was so breathtaking. The women in this novel are unique, well-defined and dimensional characters. The relationships in this book, love, friendship, parental, feel so real. I would recommend this historical fiction to anyone, particularly someone who wants to read more about people living under Latin American dictatorships, queer historical fictions, or books about women loving women. Serious triggering warnings on this book, though, so undertake with some reflection on where you are currently.
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