Um álbum para Lady Laet, Professor Passos’s most recent novel, was published by Alfaguara in Brazil in 2022. The novel focuses on a young Brazilian woman living in Los Angeles who attempts to write the biography of her estranged mother, a Brazilian countercultural rock and folk singer from the 1980s. It is a gripping novel about transformations and transitions, aware of the challenges involved when dealing with new cultures and acquiring a new language. Through an absorbing family saga, Passos manages to offer a window onto social and political transformations in Brazil in a global context, giving pride of place to musical culture and the platforms through which it is disseminated. The novel also explores changes in gender relationships and cultural displacement. This exceptional piece of writing exemplifies the author’s masterful ability to create a compelling interplay between history, biography, and fiction. Below are some links to reviews of the novel:
Professor Felipe Charbel 09/24/2022 for O Globo. https://oglobo.globo.com/tudo-sobre/livro/noticia/2022/09/relicario-de-vozes-perdidas-no-tempo.ghtml
Professor Wander Melo Miranda for Suplemento Pernambuco in August 2022 issue. http://www.suplementope.com.br/resenhas/2936-um-álbum-para-lady-laet-fantasmagorias-no-novo-romance-de-josé-luiz-passos.html
Alysson Oliveira 8/24/2022: https://www.cartacapital.com.br/cultura/o-pessoal-se-torna-politico-em-um-album-para-lady-laet/
Márcio Ferrari for Valor (Book review): https://valor.globo.com/eu-e/noticia/2022/08/14/romance-traz-as-lembrancas-de-uma-cantora-anarquica.ghtml