The Hammer

Winner of the prestigious Prêmio Rio de Literatura in Brazil, and now available in expert English translation, Adelaide Ivánova’s The Hammer nails its bold proclamations to the wall of a rape culture both literary and literal. Naming the names and disabling the victim-blaming machinery of the state, Ivánova offers us a battle cry for the #MeToo era. Beyond this and despite a universe of oppressions, she also manages to envision a space for real intimacy between lovers. A hammer is a weapon, she reminds us, but also a tool. You can tear it all down and then build something with it.