born Aug. 10, 1912, Ferradas, near Ilhéus, Braz.
died Aug. 6, 2001, Salvador, Bahia
Brazilian novelist.
Amado was born and reared on a cacao plantation. He published his first novel at age 20. His early works, including The Violent Land (1942), explore the exploitation and suffering of plantation workers. Despite imprisonment and exile for leftist activities, he continued to produce novels, many of which have been banned in Brazil and Portugal. Later works such as Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon (1958), Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1966), and The War of the Saints (1993) preserve Amado's political attitude in their more subtle satire; many of his books were adapted for film and television.