Summary

The Love of Singular Men is narrated by Camilo, who begins the novel as a young boy living in Queím, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The year is 1976, and Camilo lives alongside his younger sister, Joana, and his parents. Camilo himself suffers from a disability in his leg, and has been forced to use a cane from a very young age because of an accident he sustained as a small child. Although Camilo’s family is not enormously wealthy, there estate is of a considerable size, and they employ a maid named Paulina who looks after the children. Meanwhile, though much of their conflict remains obscure to Camilo and Joana, their parents are clearly beginning to have misgivings about their marriage to one another, and fight frequently.

One summer day in 1976, Camilo and Joana are playing by the pool, where...