Resumo
Os Filhos do Padre Anselmo by António José da Costa Couto Sá de Albergaria, published in 1904, is a Portuguese novel blending mystery, romance, and social critique.
It follows Paulo, an 18-year-old orphan, as he joins the secretive Mão Negra society, navigating perilous trials to prove his courage and loyalty.
His journey intertwines with his love for Beatriz, whose father plans to marry her to another, and the dark secrets of Helena de Noronha, a woman linked to the sinister Padre Anselmo.
The narrative explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and redemption against a backdrop of crime, betrayal, and hidden familial ties, culminating in Paulo’s inheritance of a fortune and his marriage to Beatriz.