In a kingdom by the river

As a teenager in Juiz de Fora, poet Murilo Mendes (1901-1975) transcribed several poems into his neighbor Maria Luiza's "girl's notebook." Years later, Maria Luiza bequeathed the notebook to her daughter, writer Rachel Jardim. *A Kingdom by the River* is divided into three parts: a memoir that explores the times and spaces of old Juiz de Fora; Murilo Mendes's manuscripts; and a critical analysis of the poems, with a brief profile of the transcribed poets, by renowned critic Alexei Bueno.