Beginning in the early 1840s, Above the Salt is a monumental epic of love and heartache drawn against a backdrop of religious persecution, racial bias, immigration, and the American Civil War. John Alves and Maria Catarina Freitas have grown up on the island of Madeira, on opposite sides of the religious divide, loving one another since childhood. John’s mother is imprisoned with her young son, and barely escapes martyrdom, and his spiritual adoration of her heavily influences the course of events. Fleeing Madeira with their families at different times, John and Maria, now Mary, find themselves in Illinois, in a community of Portuguese refugees grateful for their small chance to pursue the American dream. John teaches deaf children and embarks on the invention of a sound machine; Mary, a talented embroideress, grows miracle-berry plants (Synsepalum dulcificum) for Edward Moore, a wealthy man whose efforts to grow a thornless rose are hampered by his infatuation with Mary. The ensuing years are marked by the ebb and flow of Mary’s affection for Edward, whilst her boundless passion for John remains unabated. John’s postponement of a marital commitment to Mary, prior to leaving to fight for the Union, overshadows the rest of his life.

Vaz’s complex, character-rich narrative does not lend itself easily to being picked up and put down, but rather cries out to be digested in large chunks. It bursts with poignant, deftly targeted metaphor and literary symbolism (the miracle-berry; Edward’s thorny rose), whilst an underlying mystery drives the story forward. The narrative can both sweep you away and bring you up short, all within a turn of the page. Extensive author notes show the prodigious research and commitment which brought this story to fruition—one that is, by turns, brilliant, heart-breaking, frustrating and insightful, rolled into one immersive read.