October Reviews of the Latest Spanish-Language Books for Adults: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Also in Translation
English-language reviews of the latest Spanish-language books for adults
Edited by Aida Bardales -- Library Journal, 10/15/2009
FICTION | NONFICTION | ALSO IN TRANSLATION
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La mano de Fátima.
(Fatima’s Hand)
Falcones, Ildefonso.
U.S.: Vintage Español: Random House. 2009. 955p. ISBN 978-0-307-47606-7. pap. $19.95. HISTORICAL FICTION
This second novel by best-selling Spanish author Falcones (La catedral del mar) features another young 
male protagonist coming of age in Spain. Hernando is the blue-eyed son of a Moorish mother, raped at age 13 by a Spanish priest, in 16th-century Spain. Hernando senses the rejection of his stepfather and other members of the clandestine Muslim community, but early in adolescence, at the feet of other elders, he learns to appreciate the rich cultural and religious legacy of Moorish Spain. His entire existence unfolds in the uneasy space between the two cultures. When Muslims rebel against abuse, they are killed and expelled. In the heat of one battle, as a young man, Hernando meets his first wife, Fátima. Fierce and firm in her faith, she will shape his existence. The title alludes both to her and to the hamsa amulet, also known in Spanish as “la mano de Fátima.” Readable and engaging, this massive tome is grounded in meticulous historical research. The twists and turns of Hernando’s life provide a tour of early modern Spain, with an emphasis on the human tragedies and triumphs of the Moorish peoples. At its heart, though, the book is a love story not just about a man and the women about whom he cares deeply but also about the culture he is bound to by faith and passion. Highly recommended for larger bookstores and libraries.—Laura Barbas-Rhoden, Wofford Coll., Spartanburg, SC
Réquiem para un Ángel.
(Requiem for an Angel)
Hernández, Jorge F.
Mexico/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2009. 379p. ISBN 978-607-11-0207-2. pap. 21.99. FICTION
This oddball homage to Mexico City revolves around Ángel Andrade, a young defeño who leaves home, changes his name to Anhauac, and roams the city fighting injustice. He is surrounded by a host of characters, from upper-class snobs to a former boxer, who comment on the sorry state of the city. Ángel’s chapters alternate with baroque ramblings about the city’s cruelty, analphabetism, and occasional beauty and with short writings by some of Mexico’s foremost authors—from Carlos Fuentes to Octavio Paz. Hernández’s elaborate style and sense of humor make some of these chapters very engaging, especially the vivid reminiscences about the 1985 earthquake and the 1968 massacre at Tlatelolco square. However, it often seems that the book’s inventiveness is meant to compensate for the author’s having no clear idea of what to do with Ángel, who stays diffuse and hollow from the first page to the last. The author even makes frequent asides about the novel he is writing, self-consciously dialoguing with himself and pondering his own wit; eventually, he becomes trapped by his own literary devices. His relentless quest to surprise, move, and awe the reader is praiseworthy, but he only seldom succeeds. Recommended for libraries and bookstores with a strong Mexican literature catalog.—Carlos Rodríguez Martorell, East Elmhurst, NY
En el fondo, pide una copa, paga Proust.
(In the End, Order a Drink, Proust Is Buying)
Huertas, Begoña.
Spain: 451 Editores. 2009. 269p. ISBN 978-84-96822-75-7. pap. $27.95. FICTION
A former winner of the prestigious Casa de las Américas Prize, Huertas escorts the reader on a safari to 
observe her characters’ sentimental lives as though they were beasts on the veldt. Among the characters are an insecure man whose admiring wife takes a self-help course and awakens them both, another who decides to make a woman fall in love with him although he is unsure of his own feelings, and a perceptive girl attempting to locate herself in an inhospitable familial habitat. As in Proust’s masterpiece, the plotline is circuitous and the commentary insightful. We are introduced first to one setting, then another, then return to the first, and finally encounter new characters at the end of a cycle. The lack of structural continuity in the structure is maddening, but most of the individual pieces work well. The book’s most delightful moments occur when the narrator intrudes into the action like the dispassionate and trusted expert in a wildlife documentary, brilliantly and comically illuminating the motives behind the mating rituals and the relational and individual subtexts that lead to the characters’ decision regarding whether to mate for life, to adapt, or to evolve. Recommended for literary Spanish-language collections, as well as general bookstores.—Carolyn Kost, Stevenson Sch. Lib., Pebble Beach, CA
Las grietas de Jara.
(Jara’s Cracks)
Piñeiro, Claudia.
Argentina/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2009. 260p. ISBN 978-987-04-1296-0. pap. $19.99. FICTION
The author of the prize-winning novels Las viudas de los jueves (“The Widows of Thursdays,” 2007) and 
Elena sabe (“Elena Knows,” 2007), Piñeiro, has also written stories for children and the theater, and her works have been translated into several languages. In her latest novel, 42-year-old architect Pablo Simó’s dream of building a tower crumbles when his life is turned upside down by the appearance of 27-year-old Leonor. This young woman opens up a “crack” in his precarious life. Although the title’s crack refers to one in a building, the crack in Simó’s life shows him to be going through a severe midlife crisis that leads him to question his monotonous existence. His loveless marriage is marked by discussions with his wife about their teenage daughter, who is exploring her sexuality. In his career, Simó has lots of enthusiasm for his profession but works for unscrupulous bosses. This suspenseful novel takes the reader on a journey through the streets of Buenos Aires, where many of the emblematic buildings of this capital are described. A gripping read that can be enjoyed in one sitting; recommended for public and academic libraries.—Liliana Wendorff, Univ. of North Carolina at Pembroke
El séptimo sello.
(The Seventh Seal)
Rodrigues Dos Santos, José.
tr. by Mario Merlino. Spain: Roca, dist. by Spanish Publishers. 2009. 399p. ISBN 978-84-92429-88-2. pap. $23.95. SUSPENSE
Mozambique native Rodrigues Dos Santos, a former BBC reporter who has covered several wars, is presently a university lecturer in Portugal with several best sellers to his credit. This novel is a well-developed thriller with apocalyptic overtones. After the assassination of a scientist in the Antarctic, Interpol contacts Tomás Noronha, a Portuguese historian who knows one other person who has disappeared. Tomás must rely on his training as a code specialist to find clues and solve the mystery. The investigation has biblical allusions: the criminal left behind a note next to his victim with the number of the Beast, 666. Rodrigues Dos Santos here investigates two crucial issues currently affecting humanity—global warming and the availability of energy resources—and his insistence that the text is grounded in historical, technical, and scientific verities makes the book even scarier. Recommended for bookstores and academic libraries.—Liliana Wendorff, Univ. of North Carolina at Pembroke
El tiempo suspendido.
(Time Suspended)
Saravia, Juan.
Mexico: Felou. 2009. 84p. ISBN 978-607-7757-05-4. pap. $9.95. NOVELLA
Mexican-born Saravia studied public administration but has had a successful career in other areas, having published novels and short stories, done some work in radio, and been involved with promoting cultural issues. This work is a vignette about the brief time that a nurse named Elisa spends caring for Isabel, who is dying from cancer. Their first meeting begins roughly, with Isabel demanding to know whether the young nurse has even cared for others before. Elisa musters all her courage and compassion, and the two become close, bound together by the thoughts, memories, and gifts they share at a time that is difficult for them both. There are the usual issues found in a story in which cancer plays a role—e.g., uncaring doctors, feelings of helplessness, the anger of a patient who is nevertheless full of heart—but there’s no new way of looking at them and no lasting insight offered. Still, the feeling of closure at the end is an understated accomplishment that should be noted. Recommended with some reservations for bookstores with a selection of current short stories/novellas in Spanish.—Marie St. Pierre, Thornton, CO
Oscuro bosque oscuro.
(Dark, Dark Forest)
Volpi, Jorge.
Mexico: Almadía. 2009. 147p. ISBN 978-607-411-023-4. pap. $15.95. FICTION
While short, this volume is not sweet; it is part poem, part novel, and part perverted fairy tale by the 
award-winning author of En busca de Klingsor (In Search of Klingsor), a book that also defies easy classification. Oscuro bosque oscuro show readers the darkest side of humanity by re-creating an incident from World War II. In 1945, in Hitler’s Germany, 500 civilians—bakers, tailors, and old men no longer fit for combat—were trained to exterminate their Jewish neighbors. Volpi takes this incident out of its historical context and places it in a nonspecific everywhere, creating a sad sequence of events that demonstrates the depths to which humans can sink and have sunk. This devastating tale uses hypnotic language that directly invokes the reader, with each chapter featuring the retelling of a different fairy tale—from Hansel and Gretel to Little Red Riding Hood to Cinderella. All begin with a comforting familiarity soon to be replaced by endings that shock horribly—no prince saves the day, no witch is outwitted. Along the way, we, the readers, meet the recruited civilians, simple souls whose impulse is to serve their homeland. We accompany them on their journey through recruitment and training and on their despicable missions. Our complicity is inescapable. An important addition for large public and academic libraries; highly recommended.—Sara Martinez, Hispanic Resource Ctr., Tulsa City–Cty. Lib. Syst. OK
El Maestro de la vida.
(The Teacher of Life)
Cury, Augusto.
tr. by María Fernández Oliveira. U.S.: Grupo Nelson. 2009. 185p. ISBN 978-1-60255-132-9. pap. $12.99. SELF-HELP/SPIRITUALITY
Though Brazilian psychiatrist Cury is not well known outside of Brazil and Portugal, his numerous books on 
positive thinking and the psychology of mind are best sellers in the how-to Christian literary market of those countries. This book is the third in a five-volume series titled “Análise da Inteligência de Cristo” (Analysis of the Intelligence of Christ). Here, Cury analyzes the final events in the life of Christ connected to his arrest, trials, and condemnation. He suggests that even though Christ suffered great pain, fear, and public humiliation, he was able to remain clear and direct in his objectives. Cury considers Christ’s steadfastness and suggests that the reader adopt these Christlike reactions to challenges in life. Cury’s books are typical of the genre of Christian writing worldwide that combine a positive attitude with the teachings of Christianity, aiming to help deal with life. Recommended for Christian libraries and bookstores, as well as public libraries with strong Spanish-language self-help and/or spiritual collections.—Mark L. Grover, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT
La gramática del tiempo.
(The Grammar of Time)
Da Jandra, Leonardo.
Mexico: Almadía. 2009. 216p. ISBN 978-607-411-018-0. pap. $19.95. ESSAY/PHILOSOPHY
Postmodernism rejected the very possibility of a utopia, an idea that has piqued the interest of artists and 
scholars for eons. But as we move past postmodernism, perhaps it is time to consider the idea again. For 28 years, in a quest for his own personal utopia, Da Jandra lived far from society in Oaxaca, Mexico, with his wife, painter Agar García. In this philosophical text, he draws from a wide range of theorists, from Marcel Mauss on gift giving to Ludwig Boltzmann on physics, to build his own utopian hypothesis based on his experiences in Oaxaca. Da Jandra plays with language, using slight puns and variations on grammatical tenses to begin his thoughts. For example, in a discussion about approaching life in “the now,” he uses the two Spanish verbs for “to be”—“ser” and “estar”—as a springboard for his thoughts. Da Jandra notes that “está,” the third-person singular of estar, reflects a sense of an amplified present, whereas the weighty nature of “es,” the equivalent conjugation of ser, is trapped in the implications of permanence. This book is best for advanced or native Spanish speakers and students in either philosophy, sociological, or anthropological theory.—Laura Torres, Arlington, MA
Poesía eras tú.
(Poetry Was You)
Hinojosa, Francisco.
Mexico: Almadía. 2009. 116 p. ISBN 978-607-411-016-6. pap. $10.95. POETRY
Best known for his many children’s books, including La peor señora del mundo (“The Worst Woman in the World,” Fondo de Cultura Economica, 1992), Mexican author Hinojosa brings the humor, whimsy, and 
darkness that fill those stories to this book of poems. A missing pig, drugs, nudity, and foul play all come to bear before this love story is over. The title of the book refers to a famous line from “Rima XXI” by Spanish poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer; when asked what poetry is, the narrator responds: “Poesía… eres tú” (“Poetry… is you”). The playful title is an indication of the irreverent poetry within. The epistolary poems are written by an amateur poet and pig farmer to his legislator girlfriend. The self-centered narrator sends his lover missives that he believes are keeping their failed relationship together. In fact, these “love poems” are petty and spiteful. His seeming earnestness is the glue that binds these poems together and brings a laugh at the end of every page. Hinojosa achieves the dark comedic effect by a well-timed undercutting of the language of bad love poems. For the full experience, read the poems in order in one sitting. Recommended for all libraries and bookstores.—Salwa Jabado, New York City
Despertando tu amor para recibir a tu bebé. Cómo prevenir la tristeza y la depresión en el embarazo y después del parto.
(Awakening Your Love To Welcome Your Baby: How To Prevent Sadness and Depression During Pregnancy and After Giving Birth)
Lara, María Asunción & Teresa García Hubard.
Mexico: Pax. 2009. 177p. illus. ISBN 978-968-860-956-9. pap. $16.95. SELF-HELP
Most women find pregnancy a joyous event, but some suffer from depression during pregnancy and/or the i
mmediate postpartum period. Lara, a physician, and García Hubard, a psychotherapist, have created this self-help book with the hope that women may use it to learn how to prevent and treat depression during pregnancy and after giving birth. Using written exercises, the book leads women through the various stages of pregnancy. Readers will examine their feelings, the effects that pregnancy has on their bodies and minds, their relationships with spouses and other family members, and their expectations for motherhood. The authors stress the importance of good communications and a support system for mothers-to-be, supporting their arguments with illustrations and quotes from other women sharing their experiences. This is a useful book for library collections with the caveat that there are lots of fill-in-the-blank pages. Also a good choice for bookstores.—Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., CA
Consigua que los niños le obedezcan. 100 trucos infalibles.
(Get Your Children To Obey: 100 Infallible Tricks)
Leclerc, Isabelle.
tr. by Caterina Berthelot. Spain: Robinbook. 2009. 188p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-84-7927-778-9. pap. $16. PARENTING
How can parents teach their children to organize their lives and participate in family tasks and events without major meltdowns? Canadian teacher Leclerc wrote this book (originally published in French in 2007) to help parents cope with the events of daily life. She offers suggestions for establishing routines, eating, bathing, getting dressed, doing chores, and dealing with fears. She tells parents to establish rules and limits and stick to them, listen to their children and encourage them to talk, remember the importance of play, and develop self-reliance. She also deals with sibling rivalry, discipline, and the importance of respect. There is nothing new here, but this is a good book for parents in need of sensible guidance. Recommended for secondary collections or where parenting books are popular.—Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L., CA
Vivas en su jardín. La verdadera historial de las hermanas Mirabal y su lucha por la libertad.
(Alive in Their Garden: The True Story of the Mirabal Sisters and Their Struggle for Freedom)
Mirabal, Dedé.
U.S.: Vintage Español: Random House. 2009. 336p. ISBN 978-0307-47453-7. pap. $15. MEMOIR
On November 25, 1960, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa Mirabel—all activists combating the regime 
of vicious Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo—were murdered with their driver on the outskirts of Puerto Plata. This memoir by their surviving sister is an important document offering an insider’s view of events that have had universal resonance. By a UN proclamation, the anniversary of the Mirabal killing has for ten years been recognized as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Julia Álvarez’s 1994 novel, En el tiempo de las Mariposas (In the Time of the Butterflies), and the subsequent Salma Hayek movie have made the heroism of the Mirabal sisters known around the world. Dedé’s readably conversational and well-documented account begins with the explanation she gives to children who sometimes ask why she, too, was not murdered that day: I stayed alive in order to tell you the story. Dozens of photographs, a time line of Dominican history, and an introduction by Álvarez supplement this testimonial, made up of family stories as well as tales of the courageous resistance to the regime of Trujillo, a dictator for whom the epithet rapist stands as no mere metaphor. The author grounds her conveys a positive tone in harsh realities, as only a lifelong activist can, producing a book that puts between covers the work carried on in her museum dedicated to her sisters’ memories. Recommended for libraries and bookstores.—Bruce Jensen, Rohrbach Lib., Kutztown, PA
Secretos de familia. Las guerras del poder.
(Family Secrets: The Power Wars)
Sala, Agustí.
Spain: Robinbook. 2009. 218p. ISBN 978-84-7927-954-7. pap. $21.95. BUSINESS
Spanish journalist and best-selling author Sala (It Happened on Wall Street; It Happened on Wall Street II) has been editor of the economics section of El Periódico de Catalunya since 1990. In 2008 he received the
Joan Sardá Dexeus Award, named after one of Spain’s great economists. Here, Sala explores the development and succession planning of some of the world’s largest and best-known family-owned businesses and dynasties. This is not a how-to book but rather a densely written and factual look at the power struggles and continuity challenges within the world’s family-owned dynasties. Covering businesses as diverse as Gucci, Guinness, Lladró, Estée Lauder, and Michelin, Sala writes detailed, well-researched, and interesting stories illustrating the unique challenges and circumstances a family business faces. As he explains, the emotional nature and complexity of family relationships means that less than a third of family-owned businesses survive the second generation and less than ten percent survive the third generation. To make his points, Sala cites numerous examples, ranging from the sensational murder of Maurizio Gucci, ordered by his ex-wife, to the simple but effective “one heir, one boss” approach of the Beretta family, Recommended for academic libraries, special business libraries, and large public libraries with significant business collections.—Yolanda J. Cuesta, Cuesta MultiCultural Consulting, Sacramento, CA
Resiste y vencerás.
(Life Is Unfair)
Samson, Alain.
tr. by Patricia Sánchez. Spain: Robinbook. 2009.213p. ISBN978-84-7927-962-2. pap. $18.95. SELF-HELP
Social and consumer psychologist Samson (London Sch. of Economics) has written more than 60 books on 
management, including Those Damn Boomers Won’t Live Forever. He is also a graduate of the Authentic Happiness Coaching Program, based on a new branch of psychology that focuses on the study of positive emotions, strength-based character, and healthy institutions. In this book, he tackles a key factor in achieving happiness—the ability to resist and to triumph over life’s everyday challenges. According to Samson, resilient people have developed the ability to learn from and take advantage of life’s events by practicing ten habits: listening to your feelings and knowing yourself, taking personal responsibility, learning to distinguish what is important, practicing objectivity, developing courage, showing gratitude, being authentic, using positive language, learning self-control, and developing curiosity. Each is treated in a single chapter here. To help readers learn these habits, Samson provides examples, exercises, and action plans. A clear layout with bulleted points and bold headings make for easy reading, and a detailed index and brief bibliography are included. While most self-help books cover many of the same topics, this is a practical, reader-friendly action guide filled with many specific suggestions and thoughts that readers will find useful. Highly recommended for all public libraries and general bookstores.—Yolanda J. Cuesta, Cuesta MultiCultural Consulting, Sacramento, CA
Cuestionando los valores. Una guía para bien-estar, bien-ser y bien tener.
(Questioning Values: A Guide to Well-Being and Well-Having)
Segura Revuelta, María Elena.
Mexico: Felou. 2009. 150p. ISBN 978-607-7757-04-7. pap. $10.99. SELF-HELP
Mexican teacher and therapist Segura Revuelta here explains her use of the Logotherapy approach, a therapy developed by concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl which suggests that one’s primary motivational force is to find meaning in life regardless of one’s circumstances. Following this approach, the author examines 14 traditional societal values, such as respect, order, generosity, and love, which she suggests are the foundation of a functioning and positive community. Segura Revuelta offers advice on ways to obtain and strengthen those traits. A simple and unsophisticated examination of positive individual attributes with suggestions of ways to improve the ability to cope with life, this book belongs to the growing genre of how-to, positive-outlook books by Latin Americans. Recommended for public libraries with strong self-help collections.—Mark L. Grover, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT
Cautiva.
(Captive)
Rojas, Clara with Isabel García-Zarza.
U.S.: Atria Español: S&S. 2009. 245p. ISBN 978-1-4391-5980-4. pap. $14. MEMOIR
Rojas was taken prisoner by the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in 2002 along with Ingrid Betancourt, whose campaign for the presidency of Colombia she managed. Held in the jungle for six 
years before being freed, Rojas has an amazing story to tell. Though Betancourt was and is the international celebrity among FARC kidnap victims, Rojas’s case aroused special interest in Latin America because she became pregnant while in captivity and gave birth—in the jungle, at nearly 40 years of age—to her first child, a baby boy from whom she was separated before his first birthday. They were not reunited until Rojas’s release in 2008’s Operation Emmanuel, named for the boy and organized by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Cautiva does not put to rest the speculation surrounding the father of Emmanuel or the circumstances of Rojas’s pregnancy; she writes simply that she will discuss those matters with her son when the time is right. Nevertheless, Rojas does share a great many of the experiences and emotions she had as a prisoner and a mother, including the eventual chill in her relationship with Betancourt. She implicitly contrasts her own unflappably positive attitude, which she credits to her religious faith, with that of the more easily discouraged Betancourt, whose unflattering portrayal is perhaps the book’s most surprising revelation. Indeed, Rojas attributes their capture itself to rash decisions made by her erstwhile friend, coupled with her own loyalty to the woman and to the campaign. A surprisingly easy read; recommended for libraries and bookstores.—Bruce Jensen, Rohrbach Lib., Kutztown, PA
Sables y utopias. Visiones de Latino America.
(Sabers and Utopias: Visions of Latin America)
Vargas Llosa, Mario.
Spain/U.S.: Aguilar: Santillana. 2009. 480p. ISBN 978-1-60396-657-3. pap. $19.99. ESSAYS
This text represents a lifetime of the thought and intellectual development of acclaimed Peruvian writer Vargas Llosa. Comprising mostly essays, articles, and correspondence, the book allows readers to witness the gradual maturing of his intellectual offerings. The material is divided into several sections that mainly touch on the politics of Peru, Cuba, Argentina, and Chile, as well as general observation into Latin American life and politics. Vargas Llosa is known to have gradually changed his politics from youthful leftist leanings to a more moderate stance. This shift is especially evident in the essays focused on the Castro regime. Earlier essays support the regime, while subsequent writings end with an open letter to Castro signed by prominent writers expressing disappointment in his treatment of journalists and the international press. Of course, Vargas Llosa is also well known for his fiction, and the last section of this compilation is devoted to Latin American novelists and arts. Vargas Llosa speaks to the powerful yet naïve painting style of Frida Kahlo and to the works of Jorge Luis Borges. Highly recommended for academic libraries with strong Latin American studies components.—Laura Torres, Arlington, MA
El arte de la distorsión (y otros ensayos).
[The Art of Distortion (and Other Essays)]
Vázquez, Juan Gabriel.
Colombia/U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2009. 228p. ISBN 978-958-704-857-5. pap. $24.99. ESSAYS
Colombian author Vázquez has won numerous prizes; his novel, Los informantes (The Informants; Alfaguara, 2004), recently published here in English to great acclaim, has been proclaimed one of the most important novels to appear in Spanish during the last 25 years. In this collection of 17 essays, all informative, insightful, and generally a pleasure to read, Vázquez examines authors such as Cervantes, Faulkner, García Márquez, and Stendahl and offers perceptive pointers on their style, preoccupations, and approach. He dedicates several of the essays to Joseph Conrad, of whom he has written a short biography and who he admires above all. Vázquez ponders how all novelists are heirs to previous works and do not write in a vacuum, and yet, with each genuine re-examination and re-creation of a novel, new variations and reinventions emerge that give great writers the opportunity to test their unique voices. This book should not be missed by serious readers of literature and those who want to be introduced to one of the most worthwhile voices writing today. Highly recommended for libraries and bookstores.—Catherine Rendón, Savannah, GA
Palmeras de la brisa rápida: Un viaje a Yucatán.
(Palms of Swift Breeze)
Villoro, Juan.
Mexico: Almadía. 2009. 207p. ISBN 978-607-411-015-9. pap. $15.95. TRAVEL
In a contemporary iteration of the tradition of the great chroniclers, journalist and writer Villoro relates his 
travels through Yucatán, the land of his mother and grandmother. Its distance from the capital, its fortuitous location jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico, the syncretism of its Mayan heritage with foreign influences, and its faded 19th-century glory derived from sisal, essential for ships’ ropes, have given rise to a singular culture, a country within the larger nation of Mexico. Rather than a travelog or weighty history, this is a leisurely ramble focusing on current expressions of the region’s history, through glimpses at cultural curiosities, regional idiom, classist manners, and more or less amusing denizens. Much closer to Bill Bryson than Bernal Díaz del Castillo, the sardonic humor is generally engaging, though an excess of detail occasionally chafes. In any case, the reader is sure to feel the oppressive heat and humidity of Mérida, marvel at the Maya, and object to the gringo tourists. Recommended for larger public libraries and bookstores where interest in Mexican themes and Latin American culture prevails.—Carolyn Kost, Stevenson School, Pebble Beach, CA
NEW TO THE MARKET
Fiction
Tiempos de fuga.
(Times of Flight)
Caride, Ramón.
tr. by Xoán Fuentes Castro. Mexico: Almadía. 2008. 250p. ISBN 978-607-411-006-7. pap. $15.95. MYSTERY
Dario witnesses the kidnapping of a young woman named Xana, and recovers a key dropped during the 
incident. He finds what the key locked away: a set of crystals that have the power to make a person relive another’s experiences. The kidnappers are after the crystals and pose a threat to both Dario and Xana, whose involvement with the crystals is later explained. Another woman, Natalie, is presented in alternating chapters but does not figure in the plot; a fourth character named Jean-Paul is introduced early on but disappointingly drops out of the story completely. The writing is captivating, Dario and Natalie are believable, and the crystals make a good basis for a story, but the end may leave readers wishing for a longer and better developed story. Award-winning author Caride is a native of Galicia. Recommended for bookstores and libraries with secondary holdings on mysteries or thrillers.—Marie St. Pierre, Thornton, CO.
Máscaras.
(Masks; published in English as Havana Red)
Padura, Leonardo.
Spain: Tusquets, dist. by Spanish Publishers. 2009. 233p. ISBN 978-84-8383-151-9. pap. $19.95. FICTION
The author of novels, short stories, and essays, Padura is creator of the detective Mario Conde, a popular 
figure in Spanish-language noir. The International Association of Crime Writers awarded him the Hammett Prize in 1998, and he also received Spain’s prestigious Café Gijón award in 1995. Originally published in 1997, this novel takes the protagonist into the world of transvestites, homosexuals, and political connections. When Conde investigates the murder of a transvestite, the son of an important political government figure, he gets drawn into the marginal world of homosexuals by the dead man’s partner and finds himself attracted to it, leading him to question his own identity. Perhaps more than the plot itself, the novel is interesting as a character analysis and a portrayal of society. The premise isn’t new, and the plot is slightly freeform. Nevertheless, as part of the work of one of Cuba’s best-known contemporary novelists, it is a desirable addition to large library collections.—Kathleen March, Univ. of Maine, Orono
Nonfiction
Allende en llamas.
(Allende in Flames)
Scherer García, Julio.
Mexico: Almadía. 2008. 175p. ISBN 978-607-411-001-2. pap. $15.95. ESSAYS
Salvador Allende failed in his bid to be president of Chile so many times that he joked that his epitaph would read “Here lies... [the] future president of Chile.” He was finally voted to power in 1970 as head of one of the first democratically elected Socialist governments in Latin American history. On September 11, 1973, however, after three years of optimism and chaos, Allende lost his life in a coup that brought about the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. This collection of newspaper articles, interviews, and essays published in El Excelsior by Mexican journalist Scherer García provides astute and courageous firsthand reports of the harrowing political upheaval of Chile in the 1970s. The book has four sections, each providing a different view of the political actions of the period. These include an interview with Pablo Neruda, as well as an audience with Allende himself, in which he outlines his views of Chile’s social democracy and its similarities to other Latin American revolutions. However, it is the sections on the military coup and Pinochet’s iron grip on Chile that make for the most chilling reading. Scherer García undertakes perilous investigative journalism to uncover figures, statistics, and testimonies of the disappeared to provide a shocking glimpse of life after Allende. Each article and essay is full of factual detail yet is perceptively analyzed. A welcome and necessary addition to any academic library.—Alison Hicks, Univ. of Colorado at Boulder
Fiction
La píldora del mal amor.
(The Heartbreak Pill)
Delgado, Anjaette.
tr. by author. U.S.: Atria Español: S&S. 2009. 261p. ISBN 978-1-4391-3874-8. pap. $15. FICTION
Delgado adds a few twists to the breakup lit formula in her chronicle of Erika Luna, a research scientist at a Miami pharmaceutical company who develops a pill to blunt bad love. Burned by her cheating husband, Erika turns to a rambunctious cadre of family and friends for support. Her out-of-the-closet father, Gilberto, and his partner, Benjamin, offer fatherly advice; her friend Lola recommends self-help books; attorney Consuelo advises divorce without vengeance; and Pedro, Juan, and Darien offer companionship. When Erika’s heartbreak over Martin and some surprises in the wake of her failed marriage threaten to engulf her, Erika puts her Ph.D. in chemistry to use: she identifies the physiological chemicals associated with romantic feelings and creates a pill to regulate them. While standard romance elements are in abundance, there are also some great scenes and funny lines. Fans will have fun easily suspending disbelief throughout. [PW 1/7/08]
Siempre Alice.
(Still Alice)
Genova, Lisa.
tr. by Francisco Pérez Navarro. Spain: Ediciones B, dist. by Spanish Publishers. 2009. 325p. ISBN 978-84-666-3912-5. pap. $20.95. FICTION
Neuroscientist and debut novelist Genova mines years of experience in her field to craft a realistic portrait of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Alice Howland is an esteemed psychology professor at Harvard, living a comfortable life in Cambridge with her husband, John, arguing about the usual when the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s begin to emerge. First, Alice can’t find her Blackberry, then she becomes hopelessly disoriented in her own town. Alice is shocked to be diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s (she had suspected a brain tumor or menopause), after which her life begins steadily to unravel. She loses track of rooms in her home, resigns from Harvard and eventually cannot recognize her own children. The brutal facts of Alzheimer’s are heartbreaking, and it’s impossible not to feel for Alice and her loved ones. This novel will appeal to those dealing with the disease and may prove helpful. [PW 10/20/08]
Amar a Frank.
(Loving Frank)
Horan, Nancy.
tr. by Ezequiel Martínez Llorente. U.S.: Alfaguara: Santillana. 2009/ 522p. ISBN 978-607-11-0193-8. pap. $24.95. FICTION
In 1904, architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a house for Edwin and Mamah Borthwick Cheney, respectable members of Oak Park, IL, society. Five years later, after a clandestine affair, Frank and Mamah scandalized that society by leaving their families to live together in Europe. Stunned by the furor, Mamah wanted to stay there, particularly after she met women’s rights advocate Ellen Key, who rejected conventional ideas of marriage and divorce. Eventually, Frank convinced her to return to Wisconsin, where he was building Taliesin as a home and retreat. Horan’s extensive research provides substantial underpinnings for this engrossing novel, and the focus on Mamah lets readers see her attraction to the creative, flamboyant architect but also her recognition of his arrogance. Mamah’s own drive to achieve something important is tinged with guilt over abandoning her children. Tentative steps toward reconciliation end in a shocking, violent conclusion that would seem melodramatic if it weren’t based on true events. The plot, characters, and ideas meld into a novel that will be a treat for fans of historical fiction. Highly recommended. [LJ 7/1/07]
Los hombres que no amaban a las mujeres.
(The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Laarson, Stieg.
tr. by Martín Lexell & Juan José Ortega. Spain: Destino: Planeta. 2009. 665p. ISBN 978-84-2334-044-6. pap. $24.95. FICTION
This complex, multilayered tale, which combines an intricate financial thriller with an Agatha Christie-like locked-room mystery set on an island, grabs the reader from the first page. Convicted of libeling a prominent businessman and awaiting imprisonment, financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist agrees to industrialist Henrik Vanger’s request to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of Vanger’s 16-year-old niece, Harriet. In return, Vanger will help Blomkvist dig up dirt on the corrupt businessman. Assisting in Blomkvist’s investigation is 24-year-old Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but enigmatic computer hacker. Punkish, tattooed, sullen, antisocial, and emotionally damaged, she is a compelling character, much like Carol O’Connell’s Kathy Mallory. Sweden may be the land of blondes, Ikea, and the Midnight Sun, but Larsson, who died in 2004, brilliantly exposes its dark heart: sexual violence against women, a Nazi past, and corporate corruption. Highly recommended. [LJ 8/15/08]
Siempre Paris.
(Reclaiming Paris)
Santiago, Fabiola.
tr. by Carlos Verdecia. U.S.: Atria Español: S&S. 2009. 294p. ISBN 978-1-4391-3868-7. pap. $15. FICTION
Marisol, a 30-something historian for the Miami Museum of History, recounts in jumbled retrospect the tale of her sometimes idealized, sometimes difficult childhood in Cuba. After her father’s early death and her mother’s 
subsequent unbalance, Marisol is raised by her loving grandmother, and the two emigrate to the Cuban Miami of the Vietnam era. Santiago focuses on Marisol’s love life, from her first crush as a little girl to a succession of Miami émigrés, including a political refugee who despises the bourgeois life to which Marisol aspires, and a cardiologist who shares Marisol’s nostalgic yearnings for the Cuba of old, but will not leave his wife for her. Different perfumes delineate various phases of Marisol’s life (with Wind Song, White Linen and others serving as section headings). Santiago brings together the expected elements of an immigrant’s tale of self-discovery and redemption. [PW 6/16/08]
Nonfiction
La semana laboral de 4 horas.
(The 4–Hour Workweek)
Ferriss, Timothy.
tr. by María Rodríguez de Vera. Spain: RBA Libros, dist. by Santillana USA. 2008. 367p. ISBN 978-84-9867-377-7. pap. $19.99. FINANCE
Ferriss is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and self-proclaimed vagabond who was named one of the Most Innovative Business People by Fast Company in 2007 and Greatest Self-Promoter of All Time by Wired magazine in 2008. He focused on neuroscience and East Asian studies at Princeton and now lectures there on high-tech entrepreneurship. In his best-selling book, Ferriss makes the case for abandoning outdated assumptions about life and work and describes how to become more efficient so that one works less while still enjoying a life of luxury. His recipe for reinvention requires the ability to practice the 80/20 rule to make effective use of time, the knowledge to use technology to generate income while you are sleeping or otherwise enjoying life, and the self-confidence to manage people and resources remotely. The title alone will surely capture any reader’s attention, but the life/work balance philosophy and prescription will appeal to the fast-growing Latino entrepreneur community. The information about developing and managing an online business is useful, practical, and much needed by a Latino audience that often does not have access to innovative business approaches. Includes many useful web sites and resources; highly recommended for all public, academic, and special business libraries, as well as bookstores.—Yolanda J. Cuesta, Cuesta MultiCultural Consulting, Sacramento, CA
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