The Bewitching Braid (novel)

The Bewitching Braid (A Trança Feiticeira) is a 1993 novel by Henrique de Senna Fernandes, of Macau. It was written originally in Portuguese and published by Fundação Oriente. the English translation of this novel was published by Hong Kong University Press in 2004, with translation by David Brookshaw. The Chinese translation, Dà Biànzi de Yòuhuò, translated by Yu Hui Yuan, was published by the Macau Cultural Affairs Bureau (澳門文化司署) in 1996.

The novel was adapted into a 1996 film, The Bewitching Braid.

According to Brookshaw, the novel was "politically correct" as the Handover of Macau was imminent. Brookshaw compared the plot to that of Escrava Isaura.

Plot
The novel is about a relationship between a Macanese man and a Chinese woman. The story is set in the 1930s.

Adozindo, the man, is of mixed Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese heritage; according to Brooks, his education was geared towards commercial enterprise and "rudimentary". A-Leng, the woman, is of Chinese heritage.

The resolution in which the couple stays together and raises a family, according to Wang Chun, reflects Chinese culture and "especially show[s] a tendency towards a Chinese style of art appreciation."

Release outside of Macau and Hong Kong
The HKU Press English version is distributed in the United States by University of Chicago Press.

In Brazil, the novel is published by Gryphus.