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Burning Seasons
An unforgettable story of survival, sisterhood, and the fight for a brighter future, based on the author’s own experiences during Brazil’s military dictatorship.
In 1970s Brazil, two teenage sisters are thrust into a chaotic world. Fear and hunger stalk them in a sugarcane town choked by a constant rain of ash, a testament to the toxic environment in which they are trying to grow. With only each other for comfort, they set out to search for their missing mother and the father they’ve never known.
Every road becomes a gauntlet, every stranger a potential threat. Yet, amidst the dangers, a fierce bond blossoms. Each sister clings to the other, a lifeline in a world teetering on the brink. Their dignity is their own quiet rebellion.
Burning Seasons lays bare the scars of a nation, the plight of marginalised people, and the silent suffering of women, girls, and the environment itself. It’s also a story of resilience and the power of love — a journey in which innocence seems lost, but hope burns defiant.
In 1970s Brazil, two teenage sisters are thrust into a chaotic world. Fear and hunger stalk them in a sugarcane town choked by a constant rain of ash, a testament to the toxic environment in which they are trying to grow. With only each other for comfort, they set out to search for their missing mother and the father they’ve never known.
Every road becomes a gauntlet, every stranger a potential threat. Yet, amidst the dangers, a fierce bond blossoms. Each sister clings to the other, a lifeline in a world teetering on the brink. Their dignity is their own quiet rebellion.
Burning Seasons lays bare the scars of a nation, the plight of marginalised people, and the silent suffering of women, girls, and the environment itself. It’s also a story of resilience and the power of love — a journey in which innocence seems lost, but hope burns defiant.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2025
4 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 24, 2025
At its core, this book feels like a reflection on how children often become the silent victims of their parents’ wounds, carrying consequences they never chose.
What struck me most is how the story portrays generational pain—how love, neglect, fear, and survival coexist in the same household. The children in this novel are not just background characters; they are shaped, bruised, and molded by adult decisions, often forced to grow up too soon. It’s painful to read, but also deeply honest.
At the same time, this is very much a story about women’s resilience. About how women, despite being fractured by circumstances, still search for themselves—trying to stay whole when everything around them is falling apart. There’s a quiet strength in the way the female characters endure, adapt, and keep going, even when they are exhausted, even when they are breaking. It’s not loud empowerment; it’s survival, and that makes it feel real.
What struck me most is how the story portrays generational pain—how love, neglect, fear, and survival coexist in the same household. The children in this novel are not just background characters; they are shaped, bruised, and molded by adult decisions, often forced to grow up too soon. It’s painful to read, but also deeply honest.
At the same time, this is very much a story about women’s resilience. About how women, despite being fractured by circumstances, still search for themselves—trying to stay whole when everything around them is falling apart. There’s a quiet strength in the way the female characters endure, adapt, and keep going, even when they are exhausted, even when they are breaking. It’s not loud empowerment; it’s survival, and that makes it feel real.
September 7, 2025
In Burning Seasons Nana Howton has done a wonderful job, drawing us into Smiley's life, making us care for her through all her adversities. Despite the many dangerous and dismal events that Smiley encounters, the feeling we come away with is hope. Smiley will survive , and more than that, she will thrive.
January 28, 2026
I thought this was fine. I was interested in it as its a setting I have no familiarity with, 70s Brazil, but I found the writing was uninspiring and the plot to be so/so.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews