In exile

An important historical record of Jewish immigration in the 20th century, In Exile fictionally narrates the journey of the Lispector family from Ukraine to Brazil.

After being discharged from a sanatorium, Lizza, a Jewish woman, begins to recall the years of persecution against Semites, which began after the Russian Revolution and forced her family to leave Ukraine and migrate from village to village across Europe, alongside thousands of people in the same situation.

With nowhere else to shelter from the winds of Nazism, Lizza and her family head to the Americas and disembark in Maceió. In Brazil, the days are calmer, although the recent past still torments her and she can't find an explanation for the endless horrors in her history, which is also that of the Jewish people.

"How do I put my life back together after this?" Lizza asks herself upon hearing the news of the end of World War II. Now safe, but still haunted by the ghosts of the pogroms, she hasn't forgotten the violence she witnessed. The feelings of non-belonging, irreparable injustice, and expatriation, which are the themes of this work, are reflections of defining events of our time: the conflicts of the Bolshevik Revolution, the rise of Hitler, and the division of Palestine.

This edition features a unique introduction by Benjamin Moser, writer, historian and biographer of the author's younger sister, Clarice Lispector.

“[Elisa] explored with special delicacy and insight the intricacies of the depths of the human soul, following the characters' inner movements step by step, in a narrative flow that reveals nuances of humor, emotions, and reflections.” – Nádia Battella Gotlib

"In her creative maturity, Elisa Lispector, aware of her art, analyzes it critically. She delves into the intimate orientation, another essential aspect of her work, reconsidering the problem of solitude and human mystery to delve deeper into the realms of fiction." – Bella Jozef