The Language of Belonging

“Compelling, and extremely timely.”  Katie Quirk, author of A Girl Called Problem

“Cristiane Scott's ‘The Language of Belonging’ takes us across hard borders. I won't ever forget the redemptive and unlikely friendship between these two women. That's what an amazing writer can do: you never forget, and thus: you are changed. Magical.

" Tom Paine, author of The Pearl of Kuwait, Scar Vegas and A Boy's Book of Nervous Breakdowns

The northeast of Brazil is rich in culture: folklore, music, cordel literature, artisans, and more.  My family on my mother’s side were fishermen and embroiderers. The women all knew the art of embroidery and used to supplement the family’s income through hours of work, day and night, after the cooking, cleaning, and childcare. When the waters of the Sao Francisco river were too low and there were not enough fish to sell, the women had to hope and pray for buyers for their work. Life has never been easy for poor families in Brazil’s northeast and it was always harder on the women and children. But their art also enabled them to build a bond with each other as they worked together in each other’s homes, keeping company while sharing their troubles, joys, and news.

My grandmother was very serious about her art. Every piece was well cared for. Made with beautiful details, then washed, ironed with precision and sold in local markets. I loved to watch the women working on their craft and to see their pride in showing their work. Every woman did it; except me. Somehow I could never get a handle on how to find the right place for that needle. Some girls were trained in the art from young age. For them, not learnong to do it wasn’t an option. Productivity was a must and even small hands were needed. Creativity has always been part of the life of the Nordestinos and finding honest ways to survive there, needs a high level of it.

It is not a coincidence that embroidery made its way into The Language of Belonging. It is still the way we decorate our homes from pillows cases to tablecloths and curtains. Just beautiful. And, we show it in the book.

Now, we are partnering with a few embroiders in Brazil so show their craft. They started to work on a piece with the cover of The Language of Belonging. We will follow their progress and will show the final product. They will send me it to be shown during our book launch at Books and Bar in Portsmouth, NH. From the Northeast of Brazil to the Northeast of the U.S. The Language of Belonging is connecting us.