by Selva Almada
First published 2016
In the humid countryside of Argentina's littoral, afternoon siestas stretch long under the oppressive heat. Streams wind through landscapes dotted with thistles and machinery. Here, companions navigate the complex web of relationships that bind them together. Brothers share unspoken understandings. Grandmothers hold family secrets. Fathers carry burdens from the past. Lovers discover what draws them close or pushes them apart. Friends test the limits of loyalty. Each relationship operates by its own silent rules, codes that reveal the true nature of human connection. These scattered stories capture the subtle dialogues that shape and transform these bonds. The conversations that matter most often happen in the spaces between words. Almada reveals how people consent to love and loss, how they negotiate the delicate balance between holding on and letting go.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary, relationships
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, intimate-relationships
Setting: Argentina, Littoral
Period: Contemporary
291 pages · Paperback · Literatura Random House