Orphans of Eldorado

Inspired by a comingling of the myth of Eldorado and the Amazonian legend of the Enchanted City, a mystical civilization at the bottom of the deepest river, Brazilian writer Hatoum's lushly realized newest (after Ashes of the Amazon) is set in early 20th century Brazil and tells the story of Arminto Cordovil and his search for a lost love. Though Arminto enjoyed a quiet life in his quaint hometown of Vila Bela, a fling with a trusted family servant led his father, a wealthy shipping magnate, to exile him; now in bustling Manaus, Arminto is shocked to find his father has died and left an enormous inheritance to his estranged son. At the funeral, Arminto becomes enamored with the mysterious Dinaura, an orphan living with Carmelite nuns. But just as their romance comes to life, Dinaura disappears, and Arminto must discover whether she has been taken to the Enchanted City, or otherwise run into the wilderness. Despite a keenly rendered sense of place, Hatoum's novella suffers from an identity crisis%E2%80%94the book lacks the character and plot development of traditional fiction, as well as the wonder and grandiosity of myth. (May)