It is a tribute to the Portuguese, written by Jaime Cortesão.
It is one of the books that are part of the national plan for reading and for a good reason and it is one more suggestion for reading to children. This is a story about enchanted men versed in the magical arts, bishops, warriors and mermaids. It is a fable about the deeds of almost legendary Portuguese who have long been fascinated generations of young readers. It is the genesis of national identity explained to younger, peppered, of course with lots of fantasy. The narrative is mostly based on the story of two characters Don Froiaz and Dona Marina, a love that melts the earth and sea. It is a beautiful metaphor for Portugal and its Atlantic flank, one country by the sea. Indeed, the novel has a strong maritime component; there is a close connection between the characters and the Portuguese discoveries. It's a read that I recommend to a younger audience by not only for the prose, but by its surroundings and by the magic of the plot where there enchanters, undines and Moors hovering the enchanted islands accessible only to a few and it do not appear on maps. It is also a very personal interpretation of the legends of the Azores and of Madera; hence the name enchanted islands and a beautiful simple example of history telling the feat of our heroes just before bedtime. Good reading and good dreams!
