Tussitala and Me: My Life with Charles Henry Maxwell

He had left London on a cold, gloomy day and although

he was flying to São Paulo, his plane landed in Rio de Janeiro,

at Brazil’s only international airport. He was wearing a tweed

coat and carrying his tennis racket. From the minute he stepped

into the heat of the runway and saw the Outeiro da Glória

church, he had a gut feeling he was going to like Brazil

and he did.

Contracted to teach English Literature at St Paul’s School

in São Paulo, he was realizing his dream of flying south

of the Equator to discover South America and

visit the Amazon rainforest.

In this touching memoir, Noemia Mariutti Maxwell

combines her husband’s letters with personal reflections,

recalling her childhood in São Paulo and early teaching

career at St Paul’s, to tell the story of how she met her

husband-to-be and their happy marriage.