Examines the intersections of social marginality, morality, and magic in contemporary Brazil by analyzing the beliefs and religious practices related to the Afro-Brazilian spirit entity Pomba Gira. This title provides an intimate account of the intricate relationship between Pomba Gira and one of her devotees, Nazare da Silva.
"An enthralling account of the spirits of the street, whose stories are as complex as those of their human hosts. Long ignored both by governments and by scholars, here these spirits and persons finally acquire full rights to a rich representation. There is no book quite like it." -Paul Christopher Johnson, author of Secrets, Gossip and Gods: The Transformation of Brazilian Candomblé and Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa
"Hayes constructs a cogent and passionate account that masterfully weaves the daily struggles, hopes, and resilience of women living in a favela with keen, unassuming, and often witty insights about fieldwork and the ethnographic encounter." -Raquel Romberg, author of Healing Dramas: Divination and Magic in Modern Puerto Rico
"A clearly written and exciting book, filled with major insights, which will inspire further scholarship."
