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Socorro Acioli's novel tells the story of a young man who discovers he possesses the fantastic gift of hearing women's prayers to Saint Anthony. Shortly before she dies, Samuel's mother makes him a final request: that he go find the grandmother and father he never knew. Even though he's reluctant, the young man fulfills the promise and walks the path from Juazeiro do Norte to the small town of Candeia, enduring all the hardships of the merciless sun of Ceará's sertão. Upon arriving in that almost ghost town, he finds shelter in a curious place: the hollow and gigantic head of an unfinished statue of Saint Anthony, which lay separated from the rest of the body. But the oddities don't stop there: Samuel begins to hear a jumble of female voices only when he is inside the head. Frightened, he realizes that these are the prayers women make to the saint, speaking of love. His first contact in the town is with Francisco, a young man with whom he quickly becomes friends and who decides to help him commercially exploit his gift of listening, promoting marriages and other romantic schemes. Previously frozen in time, the town gradually comes back to life as it is taken over by devotees from all corners, attracted by Samuel's unprecedented power. Amidst this commotion, he will also fall in love with a mysterious voice that stands out among the many others echoing in the saint's head.