The Joys and Disappointments of a German Governess in Imperial Brazil

“The German governess Ina von Binzer’s letters provide unparalleled insights into the texture of Brazilian life in the early 1880s, from the condition and lives of slaves to the intimate family and material lives of their owners who employed her. Lewin’s contextualization of these precious primary sources is consummate, moving from archival confirmation of specific details to concise summations of the general context that these missives illuminate.” —Peter M. Beattie, author of The Tribute of Blood

“This book wonderfully compliments a textbook account of nineteenth-century Brazil. The Joys and Disappointments of a German Governess in Imperial Brazil touches on many of the most notable events and paradoxes of the period, including the rise of coffee, waning slavery (that was not, however, weakening quickly enough in the regions where von Binzer visited), monarchical rule, and the start of a new wave of European immigration.” —Ian Read, author of The Hierarchies of Slavery in Santos, Brazil, 1822–1888

"Drawing on the personal letters of Ina von Binzer, Linda Lewin provides today’s scholars with a lens to understand how wealthy families rooted in Brazilian coffee production struggled with the onset of abolition. Lewin’s book integrates powerful photographs, including rare views of slaves, with von Binzer’s letters that, together with Lewin’s succinct, accessible introduction and explicating footnotes, will stimulate and complicate historical debates about slavery in Brazil." —Theresa Alfaro-Velcamp, author of So Far from Allah, So Close to Mexico

"This insider’s view of the final days of slavery in nineteenth-century Brazil captures her employers’ lives and that of their enslaved servants. Expertly edited by Linda Lewin, her letters are a rich primary source for all historians of slavery and the family. Appropriate period photographs accompany the text." —Mary C. Karasch, author of Before Brasília

"This book is a fascinating window into nineteenth-century Brazilian daily life. The reader will enjoy the German governess’s
depictions of family relations in this first English translation and will
appreciate her take on a society defined by enslavement in all its aspects. Linda Lewin’s introduction weaves both realms, illuminating the inner works of the last slave society in the Americas." —Maria-Aparecida Lopes, author of Rio de Janeiro in the Global Meat Market, c. 1850 to c. 1930

"One cannot finish reading The Joys and Disappointments of a German Governess in Imperial Brazil without gaining insight into the economy, society, and beauty that was Brazil in the 1880s, as well as developing some admiration for this intrepid governess, despite her flaws and prejudices. The translation flows nicely, and Linda Lewin’s excellent introduction sets the stage." —Francie R. Chassen-López, author of From Liberal to Revolutionary Oaxaca