Above the Salt

"Operatic... and memorably vivid." --Kirkus (starred review)

"Focus on the Protestant Portuguese's exile from Madeira... creates a fascinating framework for this episodic yet sweeping literary novel that is equal parts love story and immigrant experience..." --Booklist (starred review)

"In lyrical prose, Vaz conveys her characters' curiosity about the world's beauty and doles out powerful observations on human nature... Readers will be entranced by this ambitious and heartbreaking saga." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Katherine Vaz has given us yet another magical novel with vivid imagery and the complexities of cultural identity. Above the Salt is a sprawling epic narrative with thought-provoking and exquisitely crafted language that explores the impact of history, religion, culture, and migration. It is a compelling saga, a literary masterpiece that celebrates the enduring power of love and reflects on our shared heritage." --Diniz Borges, writer, editor, translator

"Vaz has written an epic love story, about time and distance and miracles and a fate written in the stars. The writing is astonishing, beautiful; the book impossible to put down." --Whitney Otto, author of How To Make an American Quilt

"Above the Salt is a lyrically haunting historical tale of what lovers overcome to manifest their destinies and find their best selves. Set against a backdrop of horticulture, migration, religion, and renewal, Katherine Vaz's novel sweeps us across decades and seas--from a tiny Portuguese island off the coast of Africa to the sprawling American Midwest--to expertly weave faith, hope, betrayal, and resilience into a story of enduring love."
--Amina Gautier, author of The Best That You Can Do

"What are our obligations to honor and love? How do we build lives across divides of time and space? Katherine Vaz asks big questions through the rich tapestry of daily life. Above the Salt is a gorgeous, surprising novel, at once intricate and bold." --Elizabeth Graver, author of The End of the Point and Kantika

"Large, lush, and luscious, Above the Salt sings of love and time and endurance and possibility, in a most singular key." --Gish Jen, author of Mona in the Promised Land and Thank You, Mr. Nixon

"The first time I ever heard Katherine Vaz read, I remember thinking, Who is this sorceress? as she made me cry in public. Now we have a new novel from her, and the magic has expanded." --Alexander Chee, author of Edinburgh and The Queen of the Night

"Katherine Vaz offers us a story of discovery, loss, and the fragile but unwavering bonds of love that endure despite it all. This epic saga confirms her as one of our best writers." --Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King, shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize

"Since the publication of her first novel, Saudade, Katherine Vaz has stood out as a Portuguese American writer uniquely capable of expressing the inchoate longing of the Portuguese soul. Now, with Above the Salt, she becomes the pre-eminent voice of those of us who are part of the vast Portuguese diaspora with this visionary, immigrants' tale told through her rueful, hallucinogenic prose." --Michael Rezendes, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist