The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell by Jorge Amado is one of my favorites Brazilian books. This one in the photo is very special for me, because it belongs to my mother, who read it when she was at school.

It tells the story of what happens after the death of Quincas, a man that left this middle-class life and family to become a popular bum living in the slums of Salvador, Bahia. In the beginning of the story, Quincas’ street companions and his old family competes for his memory.

However, after Quincas’s friends are alone with his body, they supposedly hear Quincas talk and share a drink with him, moving the body out of the coffin and taking him out for a night on the town. During that night, Quincas’ friends decided to visit his girlfriend and Quincas himself, dead, gets involved in a fight.

When they finally arrived at a friend’s boat, a loud thunder appears and Quincas yells his last words, throwing himself into the sea and leaving this world in the way he always wanted (his second death).