Join us for a free In Conversation event with author Brynn Barineau and her new novel, Jungle of Ashes! She will be in conversation with Katherine Scott Crawford, author of The Miniaturist’s Apprentice. ABOUT THE BOOK: In 1928, industrial titan Henry Ford set out to conquer the Brazilian rainforest, determined to grow his own rubber and free his company from British control. The result was Fordlandia—a factory-town dream of American order imposed on the chaos of the jungle. But behind the promise of progress lies exploitation, cultural conflict, and ecological disaster. Seventeen-year-old Joanna Rogge is uprooted from Michigan when her father is appointed assistant manager of the Ford Company’s Amazonian plantation. Eager to escape the confining expectations of American society, Joanna finds herself both fascinated and disturbed by the rainforest—and by Rafael Caetano, a skilled Brazilian mechanic with ambitions of his own. As conditions at Fordlandia deteriorate—diseased crops, rising fevers, and mounting tensions between management and labor—Joanna and Rafael are drawn together in a fragile romance that defies class, culture, and the company’s rigid rules. When political revolution and corporate control collide, they must choose between duty and desire, safety and truth, survival and love. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brynn Barineau is the author of Jaguars and Other Game, which debuted in November, 2022. Her second novel, Jungle of Ashes, will launch with History Through Fiction on May 19, 2026 along with the re-release of Jaguars and Other Game. ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER: Katherine Scott Crawford is the award-winning author of The Miniaturist’ s Assistant and Keowee Valley. A former backpacking guide, newspaper columnist, and recovering academic, she’ d rather be in the woods with her dog than anywhere else. She enjoys curious people, adventure, and snow— and believes historical fiction the best way to time travel. An eleventh-generation Southerner, she lives with her family in the North Carolina mountains. Never been to an In Conversation event? This is a free event with books available for purchase.
