“This book is well written, informative and entertaining, with a touch of magical realism courtesy of some enlightening dream sequences. Beautiful photographs throughout the book, along with helpful maps, glossaries, and character lists, make this an enjoyable and informative read. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys Gabriel Garcia Márquez, Isabel Allende, or historical family sagas.”
Jenni L., Reviewer – United States
    
“Liberty Farm is a grand endeavor. At the heart of all great events stands passion — selfish, blind, and destructive — disguised as love. The story is well built, and the use of the historical snippets add to, rather than distract from it. It is obvious that this has long been a labor of love, with great attention to detail. Amorim has also created a story dynamic enough, yet focused enough, to hold the readers’ interest, despite the abundance of people and events.”
Deborah M., Reviewer – Israel

“I enjoyed this book tremendously. The author tells a wonderful story about sorrow, loyalty, compromises, power, and a strong yet unfulfilled desire for paternal love. This confronts Ezra's motto that family must stay together with the reality of resentment, abandonment, betrayal, and regret that the Almeida family actually have as the (unwanted) foundation of their relationships. Another outstanding element of this book is that the author took into account the importance of reputation for a traditional Latin American family, which is a burden that limits their possibilities to build healthier relationships.”
Veronica G., Reviewer – Ecuador

“Izai Amorim manages to captivate readers through the telling of three generations of a massive family as they face tumult from sources both inside and outside of the home. The juxtaposition of the family against the political climate within Brazil is skillfully done, keeping readers interested and excited to learn more about each character. Liberty Farm touches on so many topics: traditional gender roles, marriage, jealousy, family status... Each prominent character is written to have realistic strengths and flaws. Every event seems to be relevant to the story as a whole, and entices you to learn more about this family's experience. A fascinating family drama that I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Reviewer 626184 – United States

“Liberty Farm is a man’s world, but the interesting and strong characters are all women. The author brilliantly shows how the female characters struggle for their right to self-determination in a male-dominated society. The book transcends geography and time: this could be any patriarchal family, anywhere.”
Mary W., Reviewer – United States
    
“I’m a big fan of long dramas spanning generations and I loved Liberty farm. The plot is fascinating and the characters well developed and come across as human and real. I was instantly hooked by the first paragraphs in the prologue – the idea of the love black hole. It’s a very good metaphor. This novel made me think about how people embellish the narrative about their past.”
Jane T., Reviewer – Canada

“Izai Amorim's novel is both a great reading experience and a great learning experience. Anchoring the novel is the touch of magical realism, ‘a love black hole,’ and the minimalist writing style echoes that of Cather and Hemingway.”
Carol M., Reviewer – United States

“The characterizations in this story were superb and I could truly empathize with some of the female characters. They were strong, driven and powerful. They put up with a lot and were the backbones of their families. This period of history, approximately one hundred years covered in this book, was interwoven very well into the family saga and provided much knowledge on a period of history I knew very little about.”
Clara C., Educator – Ireland

“Liberty Farm is an awesome tale, following the Almeida family from 1889–1989 as they ranched and farmed and grew under the various forms of government experienced in Brazil during that time frame. Political and social mores change drastically over this century of time, sometimes rapidly, sometimes while your back is turned, and every nuance affects the Almeida family members of every age. You see it coming, just as they do but there is nothing to be done to change the changes, just weather through and hope for tomorrow.”
Bonnye F., Reviewer – United States

“The setting — a harsh, arid region of northeastern Brazil — is very different from what most people associate with a country famous for its beaches and rainforest, which makes for a very interesting backdrop for the changes that take place over the decades. Running parallel to the family drama is Brazil's own growing pains as it becomes fully industrialized and goes through a series of authoritarian regimes, some more repressive than others.”
Reviewer 678626 – Canada
    
“Wow, this is one great book! Not only entertaining, it is educational as well, but never dry. The characters were so well-developed and realistic – I sometimes felt that I was reading about real people instead of fictional ones.  All of the characters are flawed in some way, as real people are, and I become so engaged with them that I experienced real emotions of anger, hate, disappointment, sadness, and joy right along with the characters.”
Kimberly K., Reviewer – United States
    
“Poignant and full of heart-felt characters, it left me heart broken and wanting more. Izai Amorim knows how to write a strong female character that demands more of its readers! A fantastic read!”
Brandy-Lee M., Reviewer – Canada

“The family dynamics, the changes in social mores, aspects of agriculture, economics and education – the book covers so many aspects of Brazilian life with short separate chapters keeping readers updated on political events. The complex family relationships and the many members are easy to keep track of as the narrative style is plain, succinct and simple (but not simplistic) and the politics is explained again in a very clear way so that it doesn’t intrude on the story. It’s a really compelling novel about some truly memorable characters, and as a bonus I learnt a lot about Brazil as I followed their stories.”
Mandy J., Reviewer – United Kingdom

“As the book went on, I found myself loving the whole way the book was written. With the historical facts of what was happening politically and behind the scenes of life, going back to the story was a pleasure. I grew to love the characters and hate the 'baddies' that the author has written so imaginatively about. The way the author makes the characters come alive and make you feel as if you were a part of their lives was brilliant.”
Andrea B., Reviewer – United Kingdom
    
“The book is well written and I felt as if I got to know most of the main characters considerably well. I got frustrated with the patriarchy and misogyny throughout, but those were necessary elements, without which the narrative wouldn’t be true to life. I didn’t know much about Brazilian history prior to reading this novel, and I appreciate the education. It’s interesting how people, politics, and land ownership are so intertwined.”
Lesa T., Educator – United States

“Intertwined throughout Brazil's history is this multi-generational story of strong familial obligation despite heartbreak over parental preferences. Amorim is a storytelling force, with his characters responding to historical events. I highly recommend this book for its nitty gritty perspective of Brazil and the dynamics of a family beset by tragedy.”
Lael B., Reviewer – United States

“I loved this book. I could have kept reading about this family for a million more chapters. The family is like any family with its feuds, loves, and losses but brought to life in such a well written way.”
Denise F., Reviewer – United States

“The author has an incredible talent for developing very interesting characters but also entwining the history of Brazil both economically and politically into the story. It discusses the growth of the Industrial Revolution, and the dominant, often repressive government leaders throughout the generations.”
Margaret W., Reviewer – Canada

“I really enjoyed this book. A tale of family struggles, hate, revenge and ultimate loyalty based upon Liberty Farm, the home of generations. A trip through history that is insightful and informative blending that of Brazil and the family. Great book. I can't wait to see what the author does next.”
Melanie W., Reviewer – United Kingdom

“Sweeping and lovely — exposing me to Brazil and Brazilian culture — I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love books that bring me to a new place — where the setting is like another character, and this book did just that.”
Ann-Drea B., Reviewer – United States

“As usual, Izai does a great job with the characters in this book!  I was rooting for a few and despising a few of them. I recommend this book!”
James L., Reviewer – United States

“The writing was great. Loved the story. My head is still immersed in the story and thinking about those powerful characters.”
Dawa D., Reviewer – India

[ Liberty Farm: A Family Portrait's page on NetGalley ]