Eleven Minutes

Description

“In order to write about sex, I had to understand why it had been so defiled.” The protagonist, Maria, comes from northeastern Brazil, carrying with her a profound sadness from adolescence. She is a beautiful young woman who could easily have married, but she didn’t want to until she fulfilled her dream of seeing Rio de Janeiro. She diligently saved money for two years before finally leaving for that famous city. On Copacabana beach, Maria catches the eye of a Swiss businessman who later invites her to accompany him to Europe, promising to make her a star. Always willing to take risks, Maria moves with him to Geneva, holding a signed contract that, had she read it carefully, would have revealed its hidden knot: she has committed herself to working for meager wages as a nightclub dancer. It doesn’t take long for her to become a prostitute. Quills says, “I don’t claim my book is a study of prostitution; I tried to completely avoid judging the main character for her choice.” What truly interests me is the diverse ways people approach the subject of sex. Some books inspire dreams, others bring us back to reality, but there’s no escaping what’s most important to a writer: honesty in their writing.