VIA PIA.
VIA PIA by Geovani Martins is a debut novel from one of Brazil’s acclaimed new literary stars, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in July 2025. This 352-page work is presented in English and explores life in Rio de Janeiro’s largest favela, Rocinha. The narrative follows five young people—brothers Washington and Wesley, along with their friends Douglas, Murilo, and Biel—as they navigate their lives close to Via Ápia, the main avenue, against the backdrop of Brazil’s militarized police presence during the World Cup preparations.
Readers will find a vivid portrayal of the characters’ experiences as they confront the chaos brought on by police interventions and the subsequent impact on their community. The story captures the tension and resilience of life on the morro, weaving together the ambitions and friendships of the protagonists amidst a turbulent socio-political landscape. Through its charged narrative, VIA PIA presents a counternarrative to the prevailing notions of violence and intervention, emphasizing the enduring spirit of life within the favela.
Official synopsis Publisher
From one of Brazil’s most acclaimed new literary stars, a twenty-first-century epic set in Rio’s largest favela.
Life on the morro, the hill, is good. Five young people—the brothers Washington and Wesley and their friends Douglas, Murilo, and Biel—live close to Rocinha’s main avenue, Via Ápia, just a quick bus ride from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
But the rhythms of their lives stutter and scratch when Brazil’s militarized police storm Rocinha as part of “pacification” efforts ahead of the upcoming World Cup and an influx of international tourists. Via Ápia charts the expectant anxiousness before the police’s invasion, the chaos born from their occupation of the hill, and the aftermath of their silent withdrawal from the favela after one year.
Told in heated bursts and marked by the charged chronology of the protagonists’ lives, Geovani Martins’s prodigious debut novel knits together the dramas and dreams of the favela during a peak of turbulent unrest. Like the boom boom kat of Brazilian funk, the unbridled ambitions and resolute friendships of these characters blare throughout Via Ápia, delivering a resonant counternarrative to the notion that violent interventions are the state’s only remedy to the afflictions of crime and poverty. The favela retorts: life, life is the answer.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “VIA PIA.” about?
Who is the author of “VIA PIA.”?
When was “VIA PIA.” published?
What is the ISBN for “VIA PIA.”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
