The new children’s book by Ribeira Grande–born author Beatriz Moreira da Silva was presented in Ponta Delgada with the participation of Clife Botelho, director of Diário da Lagoa, and Marta Ferreira, a close friend of the author and a mother whose life has unfolded across several countries. At the heart of the book—An Azorean Family—is saudade, that untranslatable ache of distance and belonging.

“Saudade teaches us—that’s what this book proves,” the author says. “It’s not about things being easy; it’s about doing them with love and dedication. Writing, revising, hearing many ‘no’s—those were all part of the journey. No one believed more than I did, and above all, more than those who are no longer here—my grandfather.”

The book launch took place last November at Livraria Letras Lavadas in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel. Alongside the author were Clife Botelho and Marta Ferreira, a native of Lagoa, mother, and longtime friend of Beatriz Moreira da Silva, who shared her own life story during the event.

“I left the Azores to follow my husband through a series of adventures,” Marta Ferreira began. “Those journeys took me to live in the Middle East with two small children—one of them autistic. They, too, have dual nationality, just like Violeta, the character in the book.”

“This book addresses a very contemporary theme: emigration,” she continued. “Everyone has an opinion about it. But only those with the courage to pack a suitcase with a few belongings and set out in search of a better future truly understand what it means to leave the comfort of home—our roots, our food, our friends, our family. To live far away, overcoming endless obstacles, often for a necessary good, sometimes separated from a husband or children.”

Marta currently lives on São Miguel, but her life has taken her through Iraq, Turkey, Uruguay, and mainland Portugal. “My husband is a professional soccer player, so we’re always moving from country to country. It was extremely difficult, especially after Noah received a diagnosis of autism—classic autism, formally confirmed. Finding therapies and proper conditions for him was not easy. I went to Iraq, but I didn’t feel that the country or the city offered the best environment for my son’s development. For about two years now, I’ve lived alone with my two children while my husband works in Iraq. So I know saudade well—and my children know it too.”

Clife Botelho reflected on the cultural weight of the book’s theme. “We often say that the word saudade cannot be translated into other languages, and even in Portuguese we struggle to explain it. But I think the title of this book says it all: An Azorean Family. Which Azorean doesn’t have a relative far away, or hasn’t lived an experience of saudade?”

He went on: “That’s what unites us all and gives these small dots in the middle of the ocean something in common. We may not know everyone here today, but we all share this—saudade for someone. And the book translates that feeling into a language appropriate for our children.”

“I believe more adults will need this book than children,” Beatriz Moreira da Silva said, noting that “most adults are still bound to their own childhood. Releasing it and embracing it will allow our descendants not to carry the weight of the past and to be free in the future.”

“Why talk about feelings or emotions?” the author asked in her interview with Diário da Lagoa. “A three-year-old child has about 80 percent of their brain already developed, but lacks the capacity to manage frustration. Making emotions known is as vital as breathing. We shouldn’t shy away from allowing children to feel, to show understanding, to hug them, or simply sit on the floor with them, offering comfort.”

The book—her first—is dedicated to her four-year-old son and to her grandfather. It is available through several online bookstores and at Letras Lavadas, in the heart of Ponta Delgada.

in Diário da Lagoa, Clife Botelho, director.