“Aprofoundlyemotionalbook,andabraveone.“--TheNewYorkerAliterarysensationinBrazil,LuizSchwarcz’sbraveandtendermemoirinterrogateshisordealofbipolardisorderinthecontextofafamilystoryofmurder,dispossession,andsilence--thelongechooftheHolocaustacrossgenerationsWhenLuizSchwarczwasachild,hewastoldlittleabouthisgrandfatherandnamesake,L獺ios--“Luiz“inHungarian.Onlylaterinlifedidhelearnthathisgrandfather,adevoutHungarianJew,haddefiedhiscountry’sNazioccupiersbyholdingsecretreligiousservicesinhishome.AfterbeingputonatraintoaGermandeathcampwithhissonAndr矇,L獺iosorderedAndr矇toleapfromthetraintofreedomatarailcrossing,whileL獺ioshimselfwascarriedontohisdeath.WhatLuizdidknowwasthathisfatherAndr矇,whohademigratedtoBrazil,wasanunhappyandsilentman.YoungLuizassumedresponsibilityforhisparents’comfort,asmanychildrenoftraumado,andforatimeheseemedtobesucceeding:heblossomedintothefamilyprodigy,eventuallygrowingintoagroundbreakingliterarypublisherinS瓊oPaulo.Hefoundahomeinthefamilysilence--ahomethathefilledwithbooksandwithreading.Butthen,atahighpointofoutwardsuccess,Luizwasbroughtlowbyadevastatingmentalbreakdown.TheAbsentMoonisthestoryofhisjourneytothatpointandofhisjourneybackfromit,asLuizlearnedtoforgeamorehonestrelationshipwithhisownmind,withhisfamily,andwiththeirsharedpast.Theculminationofthatpathisthisextraordinarybook,whichisbeautiful,tragic,noble,piercinglyhonest,andultimatelyredemptive--theproductofalifetime’sreflection,givenpowerfulliteraryshapeintherefiner’sfirebyamasterstoryteller.
