In her exuberant, darkly funny new novel, the critically acclaimed author of The Cage and Swimming with Jonah turns her dazzling talent in a new direction. A House Named Brazil exposes the deep roots of a delightfully twisted family tree.

When the phone rings at precisely six o'clock one evening, it shatters the silence of the farmhouse where Fran has lived alone since her mother abandoned her at age fourteen.

She recognizes the voice on the line immediately. Though it has been four years since she left, Fran's mother offers no apologies or explanations. She is calling to tell Fran the family stories. And though Fran longs to hang up on her, she can't help but be drawn in by the strange and wonderful tales her mother has to tell.So begins an uneasy relationship between the pair, one that takes place only during the phone calls that continue to come every night at six sharp. Over the course of several weeks, the amazing history of their large and colorful family unfolds: tales of saints and murderers; world-renowned pickpockets and fabulously talented bakers; bitter rivalries and unconditional loves; adventures across continents; tragedy and transcendence.

What Fran urgently seeks is an explanation for her mother's abandonment, but all she gets are tall tales of a family exodus from a desolate Canadian farm to a new home in the Florida swamplands. In the sprawling house named Brazil, there is more than enough room for every larger-than-life member of this family — and all the noise, heat, and passion they generate.

"A magical tale . . . combining photographs, family trees, and fanciful storytelling . . . an enchanting journey through the century, filled with a veritable circus of yarns." (--Kirkus Reviews)

"[A] beguiling history of the Mourne family . . . [told with] entrancing characters and sumptuous language." (--Publisher's Weekly)

"Reminiscent of both Joyce Carol Oates and Alice Hoffman . . . the Mourne family saga is the stuff of fairy tale and magic." (--The Boston Sunday Globe)

"Filled with stunning detail." (--The Memphis Commercial Appeal)

"Instantly attracts the reader . . . more than enough to keep the reader turning pages . . . Schulman's language is lovely." (--USA Today)

"This family saga with overtones of magical realism . . . is an entertaining, and at times affecting, portrayal of that most basic of human instincts — our desire not to be forgotten."(--Tornoto Globe and Mail)

Audrey Schulman is the author of the critically acclaimed best-selling novel The Cage, Swimming With Jonah, and A House Named Brazil.In addition to writing, Ms. Schulman programs software, teaches creative writing, and travels the globe in search of adventure.Born in Montreal, she now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.