In a remote corner of Brazil, life in a forgotten prison takes a sadistic, deadly turn.
On land where enslaved people were once tortured and murdered, the state built a penal colony in the wilderness, where inmates could be rehabilitated, but never escape. Now, decades later, and having only succeeded in trapping men, not changing them for the better, its operations are winding down. But in the prison’s waning days, a new horror is unleashed: every full-moon night, the inmates are released, the warden is armed with rifles, and the hunt begins. Every man plans his escape, not knowing if his end will come at the hands of a familiar face, or from the unknown dangers beyond the prison walls. Ana Paula Maia has once again delivered a bracing vision of our potential for violence, and our collective failure to account for the consequences of our social and political action, or inaction. No crime is committed out of view for this novelist, and her raw, brutal power enlists us all as witness.
________________________________
Praise for On Earth As It Is Beneath
“It all works. It is inventive and unflinching. And while the atmosphere is heavy with brutality and murder, Maia’s prose offers the perfect counterbalance — it is beautiful and gripping. Here, a morning isn’t just bright, it shines ‘with an impenetrable whiteness that dissolved the boundaries between heaven and earth.’ That balance makes this a standout. On Earth As It Is Beneath is a must read for those who like their poetry written in blood.” —Gabino Iglesias, The New York Times
“Ana Paula Maia’s On Earth As It Is Beneath, translated with visceral precision by Padma Viswanathan, [is] searing novella set in a remote Brazilian penal colony. By the time the book reaches its chilling conclusion, Maia has delivered a masterclass in suspense and allegory, a hypnotic descent into the underworld of cruelty and survival.” ―Leo Boix, Morning Star
“A fast-paced and impactful book… Ana Paula Maia treads her own path, and it’s a brutal one. All the better for us.” ―Escotilha