Tivolem

by Victor Rangel-Ribeiro

Goa, on the western coast of India, is an isolated area settled by Portuguese fishermen. It is the blending of old-world Christian culture with traditional Indian society that makes life in Tivolem, a village in Goa, so unique. Against this backdrop, Rangel-Ribeiro focuses on young Marie-Santana, who finds sanctuary in the quiet daily life of Tivolem after her family moved abroad many years earlier. Returning home from the heartbreak and betrayal inflicted by her former fiance, Marie-Santana finds Tivolem filled with eccentric personalities and a multitude of unexpected adventures. While caring for her elderly grandmother, Marie-Santana becomes attracted to her next-door neighbor, Simon Fernandes. But a past deceit involving Simon's far-flung brother and the censure of village gossips threaten the lovers and remind them that they - like the village - are inexorably tied to their pasts.