Skype, Sorrow, and the Sublime: Blue Light Hours Sheds Light on the Reality of Longing

What started as a light and fast paced read became way to personal and uncomfortable (in a heartfelt way) for me. Blue Light Hours is a lovely novella about the loneliness of adulthood and the familial ties between a mother and her daughter who stay in different countries and only communicate through skype.

The feeling of longing and abandonment and how we are forced to cope with them is felt through out the book. while the narrative may lack the complex characteristic flair but @bdantaslobato just went and said ‘it is what it is’ because really, aren’t the most rawest of emotion plainly just…felt?

For a person who is used to romanticizing almost everything, this book did its job in placing my feet firmly on the ground and sit with the big little things that were not narrated but said between the lines.

Blue Light Hours comes out in October 2024! Whether you're in need of a swift pick-me-up or searching for the perfect present, this novella is your go-to remedy for both quick reads and heartfelt gestures.

Thank you grove atlantic and net galley for this e-arc.

BLUE LIGHT HOURS by Bruna Dantas Lobato explores the relationship between a young woman who came to the U.S. to study in a university and her mother who was left behind in Brazil. It is a short book in three parts: the first part is from the daughter's perspective, the second part is from the mother's, and the third part is about their reunion. It was told in a series of vignettes - of daily routines (in two separate countries); of Skype calls and text messages that are usually about the weather and the changing of seasons; about sleeping in and not sleeping enough; about dorm room furniture and what was eaten for breakfast, and what current mess a distant aunt had gotten herself in now - indicating the increasing distance and the constant changes that two people would have to learn how to navigate in, on their own and together.

I'm a huge sucker for books like this; I will never find them boring. There were no big family secrets revealed. No sudden outbursts of emotions, no dramatic fights. Instead, the focus was on the distance between a mother and her daughter, and their attempts to bridge (and sometimes, to respect) that gap that really tugged at my heartstrings. This book was instantly propelled to one of my favorites in 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Published by Grove Press.

#NetGalley #BlueLightHours #BrunaDantasLobato #GrovePress #GroveAtlantic

This novel portrays the story of a mother in Brazil and her daughter in the USA, who rely on Skype to communicate, share updates, and comfort each other. Despite being miles apart, they share a deep sense of loneliness in their struggles to adapt to their new lives. The author beautifully captures the feeling of longing and frustration that comes with seeing loved ones only through a screen. Although the characters may not be as fleshed out as I might have preferred, the writing style is simple yet powerful, evoking a sense of nostalgia that is hard to resist. If you're looking for a quick yet meaningful read that delves into the complexities of human connection, this novel is definitely worth your time! 🤍

PUBLICATION DATE:
15th of October, 2024

*Thank you NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and the author for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Blue Light Hours is very sweet. It's a simple novella about a Brazilian woman going to college in Vermont, following her and her mother through their frequent Skype calls. Well-written and brief, this is best for recommended for anyone who misses their mother, has experienced the loneliness of being abroad, or wants an easy, cozy story. Despite some plot points being sad, the book is heartwarming overall.

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the e-arc.

4 stars — thank you, netgalley, grove atlantic, and bruna dantas lobato for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
what started as a light-hearted read became way too personal and heartfelt for me. as someone who also left home to move in another country, i deeply resonated with the daughter and mother's relationship, watching each other's lives through their glowing screens. so, the first thing that i did as soon as i finished this novel was calling my mother from across the world.

it is scary and exciting at the same time to be on your own and leave miles away from home, yet it feels lonely because you also left people and parts of you in that place. you left your past life and now embarking towards on a new journey in which soon enough, you'll create new memories, meet new people, as well as think of a possible future for yourself. and finally, you will experience a sense of belonging. however, when you realize at the end of the day, there is nothing quite like a mother's embrace to make you feel at home.

i think this novel left a haunting impact on me. no one talks about how lonely it is when you communicate through the screens of your computer. it feels like you're there but never fully there or you can see them but can never hold each other. it is frustrating and it demands the feeling of sadness. i think this novel fully encapsulates the feeling of yearning and loneliness that accompanies us when we miss our loved ones. the riveting writing can also make you feel the sense of nostalgia and deep longingness of wanting your mother by your side.

what a beautiful novel debut by bruna dantas lobato. this will be out on october 15, 2024, so i hope everyone reads this once it is published. ♡

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

“The Blue Light Hours” by Bruna Dantas Lobato is a poignant exploration of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, distance, and the immigrant experience. The novel unfolds through the lens of a young Brazilian woman’s first year in America, juxtaposed with her mother’s life back in northeastern Brazil. Their story is a tapestry of Skype calls that bridge the four-thousand-mile gap with a fragile thread of connection.

Lobato’s prose is atmospheric and wise, capturing the essence of longing and belonging with a deft touch. The blue light of their screens becomes a symbol of both separation and togetherness, illuminating the new rituals and forms of caretaking that emerge in the digital space. As the daughter navigates the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language, the mother grapples with her health and the fear of her daughter’s potential permanent absence.

The narrative is a meditation on the sacrifices and freedoms inherent in the act of leaving one’s home to create another. It’s a story that resonates with anyone who has experienced the bittersweet tug-of-war between the past and the future, between holding close and letting go.

Lobato, a National Book Award-winning translator, brings her linguistic prowess to the novel, painting a tender and dynamic portrait of the characters’ inner lives. “The Blue Light Hours” is a testament to the resilience of love across distances and the enduring bond that can withstand the coldest of winters, promising the hope of spring.

This debut novel is a must-read, offering a profound look at the human condition through the intimate lens of familial bonds stretched across continents.

Thank you Grove Atlantic for the ARC which I used for an honest review. I wrote about this book in a Most Anticipated list for Michigan Quarterly Review. Here is what I wrote:

This is one to read with pause: pause to re-read a sentence out loud or underline, to absorb the gorgeous writing. And also pause for tissues. Bruna Dantas Lobato’s writing is delicate, careful, meticulously crafted. I wasn’t surprised to learn Dantas Lobato took up a hobby as a miniaturist. Also fittingly, she is a National Book Award winning translator. This is writing that is masterful at recognizing the full resonance and beauty of words, the small moments, and the moments in between, and allows each sentence the space to reach a reader deeply. It will be out in October, but you can take a glimpse of the main characters in this moving story in the New Yorker.

Blue Light Hours feels like it’ll stick with me forever. With its beautiful writing and deep sense of longing, it dives into the complex dynamics of mother-daughter relationships, the quest for independence, the weight of academic expectations, the march of time, and carrying around the feeling of familial guilt.

I've been bouncing between living so far away from my mum for over three years now, and it hits close to home. Plus, being on the other side of the world from my grandmothers since I was young gives me that same energy.

Lobato's book isn't just deep and heartbreaking—it's like a warm hug, capturing the messy beauty of family ties even when miles apart.

“I felt like I would never stop anticipating my own arrival, waiting for the moment when I’d finally feel at home”

Thankyou Netgalley and Grove Press for an ARC copy of this beautiful book, i can’t wait for it to be published so i can buy a physical copy and have it on my shelf

The first part of this book felt cosy and welcoming. As someone who also left their country to travel across the world, I could relate a lot to the main character. Whilst my relationship with my mother is not as beautiful as this, I felt myself connecting to the characters and longing for that connection with my own mother.

I didn’t particularly like the way the second part shifted to the mother’s perspective whilst referring to them as mother and daughter. It felt like that was all they were, and did not have lives outside of one another. Overall, this was a pleasant quick read

This book perfectly captured the challenges of moving away and the intertwined feelings of relief and guilt.
It both made me miss my mother and made me glad that I had the chance to move away and to grow up and build a life of my own

It was really beautifully written

I absolutely love this *beautiful* slim novel by Brazilian Bruna Dantas Lobato.
This book teaches about a mother’s/daughter love for each with emotional integrity that strikes me to the core.
At only 192 pages - it’s a page-turning testimony to the power of love.

Daughter was from Brazil. She grew up in Natal….an area of Brazil known for gorgeous beaches, dunes, lagoons, and coconut trees
She received a full ride international scholarship to a small college in Vermont…..where she was going to not only experience differences in the weather and environment but also cultural differences in various beliefs, behaviors, language, uncertainty, loneliness, as well as her grappling feelings of belonging as a foreigner.
It was actually disturbing to Daughter at first that she ‘did’ feel comfort in Vermont. She felt she belonged in spite of her foreignness. Her classmates and professors told her she was smart, a great writer, and eloquent nonnative speaker in English.
Daughter was actually adjusting to campus life, studying, classes, a few new friends and social life quite well.
However….
……Daughter missed her mother terribly and worried about her. Mother also missed her daughter terribly. They worried about each other!
With the daughters blue desk lamp, the mothers blue couch, and the blue feelings they both shared from missing each other, Skype became the vehicle that supported their relationship.

“Blue Light Hours” is perfectly symbolically titled.
……divided into three uneven sections:
Daughter, Mother, Reunion.

Love, longing, development of independence for both daughter and mother took my breath away…..

And …..
As a mother of two daughters myself ….(both live far away) … I’d cherish the quality conversations that daughter&mother shared ….

There was a precious hilarious Skype chat involving them both drinking together. PRICELESS!

A few sample excerpts:
“Christmas morning, New Year’s, the beginning of the spring semester came and went with me on Skype with my mother. She lost her balance getting off the couch, her ears buzzed, her head hurt, her heart raced, her dizziness made her nauseous. The Earth shifted under her and her body was unable to catch up. We didn’t have a name for it yet, and had no idea how long these new symptoms would last”.

“Unhappiness demands more of our attention than happiness, we reasoned, it makes us appreciate slow, calm days”.

“I wanted to call my mother and show her how I’d be okay and safe—look at these houses, look how much hope I have for the future, how much hope I have for my life in this country, despite the odds. But there are certain things it’s wiser to keep to oneself, certain kinds of happiness that are worth protecting, even from loved ones”.

Mother:
“I’ve been trying to reach you. Where have you been? Let’s hope you don’t take after your father and disappear on me”.
Daughter:
“I’m right here, I haven’t gone anywhere, just catching up on sleep. What about you?

LOVE!!!!!!
5 stars!!!!!

This is a haunting, beautiful book. If you’re looking for action, this won’t be your cup of tea. It’s all about the long-distance relationship of a mother-daughter couple.

While I typically appreciate coolly restrained storytelling, mood-driven narratives, and melancholic slice-of-life stories, <i>Blue Light Hours</i> doesn’t succeed in pulling any of these off. The writing feels overly trimmed down, stripped of its intended meaning and substance. It brings to mind a review discussing contemporary fiction of the Rooney variety: “The results, allegedly, are blanched, lifeless novels, characterized by minimalism of description, coolness of tone, humorlessness of style, and wobbliness of genre—not quite fact, not quite fiction.” While the author of this review goes on to praise Rooney and novelists like her for her “supremely intelligent critique of our discourse,” I cannot do the same. In fact, I agree with the criticism directed at these books. They are ‘less’, less funny, less emotional, less compelling, just less.

These types of novels seem affectedly apathetic, even clinical, but not in a lethally precise way, such as Brandon Taylor's style, but rather robotic, as if they could have been written by AI. Despite their attempts to present reality unvarnished and resist plot and character arcs, they strike me as incredibly artificial and labored, which makes them pretentious, despite their efforts to be authentic and real.
In<i> Blue Light Hours</i>, the interactions between the mother and daughter, while not inherently off-putting given my fondness for mumblecore-esque books, lack authenticity. Despite attempts to portray natural, unadorned dialogue, the exchanges between them feel studied. The rhythm of their conversations is discordant and stilted, failing to convey a sense of their relationship or history together. Instead, reading their back-and-forths felt like watching amateur theatre, with the characters reciting lines without conviction.

Additionally, the prose occasionally ventures into twee territory, reminiscent of Instagram poetry ( millennial ennui vibes: “I lived alone, I rarely spoke, I ate badly”), detracting from the overall experience. Despite my desire to connect with the theme of a young woman navigating college life away from home, the book failed to convey the narrator's longing (be it for home, for Portuguese, or for her mother) that I anticipated.

The latter section, with its perspective shifts and clinical references to 'the mother' and 'daughter,' further highlights the book's tendency towards style over substance. While the summary promises a poignant exploration of the mother-daughter relationship across borders, there was nothing in these pages. Sure, now and again the author captures a certain mood, thanks to descriptions of the weather and changing seasons, but these did not make the book particularly atmospheric or immersive. Writing-wise, I can't help but compare it unfavorably to <i>Cold Enough for Snow </i>by Jessica Au and <i>Dove mi trovo</i> (aka <i>Whereabouts</i>) by Jhumpa Lahiri. Theme-wise, there are plenty of other novels that managed to explore these themes with either more depth or style:<i> American Fever</i> by Dur e Aziz Amna, <I>The Pachinko Parlour </i>by Elisa Shua Dusapin, <i>Tell Me I’m an Artist </i>by Chelsea Martin, <i>The Idiot</I> & <i>Either/Or</i> by Elif Batuman, <i>Lucy</> by Jamaica Kincaid, and <i>Villette</i> by Charlotte Brontë.

Reading this left me feeling completely indifferent. It didn't elicit any positive or negative emotions; it was like glancing over a grocery list or a bus schedule. I felt absolutely nothing. While it might be better than feeling annoyed or disliking something, at least when I read something that causes those (negative) emotions, I know it's had some effect on me.

I could see this novel working for readers who enjoy the work of Rooney, Aysegül Savas, or Bronwyn Fischer. As with any of my other negative reviews, take it with a pinch of salt, and if you are undecided about whether to read this novel, I recommend you check out some more positive reviews.

This is a short but really beautiful novel. I love reading about mother-daughter relationships. I also like how the daughter and mother don't have first or last names. Even though I enjoyed this book, some sections start to feel repetitive about halfway through. This is a nice slice-of-life story about a young lady going to college in the U.S. (she's originally from Brazil) and she comminutes with her mother back home through Zoom calls. Her mother is very needy, and the daughter is homesick but happy to be going to school in America. The writing was lovely and heartfelt. The long-awaited reunion at the end of the book brought a tear to my eye. A simple but poignant love story between the unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter. The cover art is absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you, Netgalley and Grove Press for the digital ARC.

the mere thought of this book brings an immense pain in my heart that i will never ever forget.

blue light hours is a novel about a daughter and a mother who are living far away from each other using only Skype and messages as their form of communication. the daughter needed to be far away for her college studies, leaving her mother alone in their country of origin, Brazil.

the novel captures the very essence of longing and the feeling of being abandoned by people in your life. the mother felt as if she was somewhat abandoned by her daughter since she didn’t want to go home because she believes that her future is in the US. But she always makes it up to her mother.

the writing is descriptive and might be “boring” to some but honestly, i think it’s the right way to write something like this because the way this book is written is actually how it feels to have that melancholic longing.

speaking of, i absolutely can’t stand the longing of both of the characters as i was reading this because i relate a little too much HELP i ugly cried my way through this book LOL (i wish i was joking). it’s just too relatable (for the most parts) especially now that im also away from my mother because of college.

one thing i must say is that for some, being old is the most loneliest time a person will ever experience in their lives. the feeling of being behind of your time and away from those who are a part of your life before 😔

i can’t put into words how much i love this novel 🥹 i just LOVE books with mother-daughter dynamics because it always hits too close to home.

my mother and i weren’t in the best relationship for some time but now that we’re finally healing from things that has happened, i began to empathize with her as my mother. it definitely isn’t easy to provide for a family and having no one for you to guide your decisions. kudos to all mothers out there! i love you all and i appreciate your efforts and the sacrifices you made for your children to have a better life.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO @netgalley FOR THE ARC !! AND TO @bdantaslobato FOR THIS AMAZING WRITING 🤍

This book isn't heavily laden with plots. I'm typically a plot-led reader and I gravitate towards wanting to know what happens next. Despite this book not really having a "destination" plot-wise, I'm still hooked due to the nature of this story. The simplicity and sincerity of a mother's love and how special it is, without having to be "over-the-top".

Lobato puts us in the shoes of someone from a third world country moving to a first world country to continue her studies, and the wonderment of this new world to the family they've left behind in faraway countries. The conversations our main character have with her mom is mundane in its topic selection, but that's what makes it feel so real! It reminds me of frequent conversations I had with my mom during uni. "Have you eaten?" "Are you well?" "Tell me what is new with you"

Everyday - the same prompts. And each line that I witness between our protaganist and her mom (who is rather ill) made me think of mortality and how fleeting these "mundane" moments can be. Before we know it, when it's gone, what was mundane becomes precious and worth most.

My father passed away two years ago. What I would've given to have these kind of conversations with him now!

I love the feelings that are encapsulated between these pages. The loneliness, the yearning, the beauty in the everyday things. Reality is having days that merge into the next, where you talk about nothing and everything in tandem.

The book sat with me, even after i left it's pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this arc!

I was amazed by this story and related so much that it made my heart break a bit, but in a good way.
Growing up and moving away from your parents is never easy and the guilt and heartache are endless, but it's so important to not lose yourself in that and not forget to keep living.
Loved this book!

This was my first ARC provided by Netgalley, and for that I am extremely thankful ❤️

This book was very relatable, it explored the duality of living the “American Dream” from the POV of an international student from Brazil, and through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship. I found it really touching and real whenever the two of them would speak of their lives and how divergent they have become, telling each other how much they missed each other, and sharing bits and pieces of their new reality living alone.

The daughter’s routines and thoughts were a very good representation of what it feels to move abroad all by yourself at a young age, and feeling extremely lonely, while also being grateful for the experiences and opportunities you’re getting that you wouldn’t have had you stayed in your comfort zone.

The only thing I was not quite into was the writing style, although I understood what the author was trying to do with having a third person narrator and almost detaching the characters out of the story as if we were seeing their lives unfold without much context or a concise storyline. However, I do believe for a short book like this, it was well conceived.

It for sure made me think of the times when I was abroad all by myself, without the ones I love, chasing a dream. It is a bittersweet milestone for sure!

I am very interested in exploring Brazilian literature and this was such a great addition to my list! the characters felt lived in and humane. I look forward to more from this author.

A short but full-bodied novel, spilling over with emotion, love, connection and longing.

★★★★

A daughter travels from Brazil to Vermont to pursue a university degree, grappling with different emotions along the way and desperately reaching for connection with her mother back home. Keeping in touch via Skype in the evenings, ‘Blue Light Hours’ narrates the mother and daughter relationship through computer screens.

This book encompassed some incredible themes packed into its 192 pages, without feeling packed whatsoever. We encounter love, grief, loneliness, desperation for connection, distance, depression, guilt and hope in Lobato’s prose-like writing, against such a normal backdrop of university life. Lobato has a magical knack for highlighting the beauty and meaning in normal life. I can best and only describe it as the feeling you get when going about an average day to day task, such as making a coffee or eating breakfast, and stopping to take notice of, and appreciate your surroundings: the sun or a breeze. This novel truly makes time stand still.

She has a wonderful way of portraying a daughter, feeling as though you are not quite doing enough, or just falling short, and trying to juggle so many expectations - a feeling I can relate to from my time at University. I also loved the insight into life as an international student and felt that the daughter is such a representation of bravery in all that she pushes herself to do.

I’m not sure whether it was intentional, or whether I just kept noticing because of the books title, but I loved how often Lobato used the colour blue throughout, contributing to the ebb and flow between emotions and feeling within the story. For me, colour played such an important part in illustrating this story.

‘Blue Light Hours’ is available on 15th October 2024. Thankyou to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for allowing me to read this fabulous advanced readers copy.

Review to go live on https://www.instagram.com/marsmalonereads/ on Thursday 18th April 2024.