Tiodora's Letters: An Enslaved Woman's Fight for Family and Freedom by D'Salete, Marcelo

Tiodora's Letters: An Enslaved Woman's Fight for Family and Freedom

In the mid-19th century, millions of Africans were enslaved and brought to Brazil. Among them was the...
$42.83 USD
$81.99 USD
$42.83 USD
Please hurry! Only 53 left in stock
Author: Marcelo D'Salete
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: $42.83
Tiodora's Letters: An Enslaved Woman's Fight for Family and Freedom by D'Salete, Marcelo

Tiodora's Letters: An Enslaved Woman's Fight for Family and Freedom

$81.99 $42.83

Tiodora's Letters: An Enslaved Woman's Fight for Family and Freedom

$81.99 $42.83
Author: Marcelo D'Salete
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
In the mid-19th century, millions of Africans were enslaved and brought to Brazil. Among them was the real-life Teodora who, separated from her husband and her son, worked in the home of a priest in São Paulo. Wishing to reconstruct the family ties lost during the journey from Africa to Brazil and to achieve emancipation for herself and her family, she gave Claro, a Black man who could read and write, money to help her write letters: some addressed to her husband and her son, whereabouts unknown, in the hopes that the letters would find them and that they could achieve this quest together; and some addressed to enslavers, intended to either help locate her family or to persuade them to let her buy her freedom.

Inspired by this correspondence, Tiodora's Letters is a rigorously researched historical work, a compelling narrative based on her letters, and masterfully drawn by D'Salete, who graphically recreates her struggle. In the 1860s, Benê, a fictional Black young man who likes Tiodora because she was kind to him, takes it upon himself to seek Tiô's family and deliver the letters. He embarks on a dangerous and world-building journey into the interior of Brazil and to the coffee plantations where they might be. There are many wordless passages of heartbreaking horror, character beats, breathtaking drawings of nature, and much more.

In Tiodora's Letters, D'Salete reconstructs a forgotten part of Brazil's dark history of slavery and pays tribute to the strength of a woman who fought for her rights single-handedly. Includes educational and contextual material.



Author: Marcelo D'Salete
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 204
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.53lbs
Size: 10.17h x 7.63w x 1.04d
ISBN: 9798875001710


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/13/2026
Booklist 03/01/2026

About the Author
D'Salete, Marcelo: - Brazilian cartoonist Marcelo D'Salete is a graduate of the University of Sao Paulo with a degree in fine arts. He is an acclaimed illustrator, teacher, and historical author who lives in Italy.Rosenberg, Andrea: - Andrea Rosenberg is a translator who has worked on a variety of novels and graphic narratives in Spanish and Portuguese. Her translations of the graphic novels Run For It by Marcelo D'Salete and The House by Paco Roca won Eisner Awards in 2018 and 2020, respectively.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.