The River Bride

Book excerpt: Once upon a time, in a fishing village along the Amazon, there lived two sisters struggling to find their "happily ever after." Helena is dreading her sister Belmira's wedding. The groom, Duarte, should have been hers. And she knows that her sister only wants to escape their sleepy Brazilian town for an exciting new life in the city. But three days before the wedding, fishermen pull a mysterious stranger out of the river - a man with no past who offers both sisters an alluring, possibly dangerous future. Brazilian folklore and lyric storytelling blend into a heartrending tale of true love, regret, transformation, and the struggle to stay true to your family while staying true to yourself. "An incredibly original and affecting night at the theater... nuanced and well-crafted, and peppered with poetic lyricism." - Houston Press "A haunting and beautifully constructed theatrical experience... A work of striking originality... Orta has a wonderful ear for dialogue, and paints complex characters that we care about, and has come up with a modern fable set deep in the heart of the Amazon." - The Siskiyou Daily News "A bittersweet dream of love... It's a simple tale, well told, that invites the viewer to ponder the mysteries of romance. Are there such things as true love, as soulmates, as fate? And where does human choice fit into the equation?" - - AZ Central "A story of folklore, love, resentment and regret... as delightfully entertaining as it fascinating." - Latin Life Denver