Cometierra, by the Argentine author Dolores Reyes, is one of the most outstanding Latin American novels of recent years. With a straightforward style and a unique narrative voice, Reyes builds an intense and deeply human story, marked by the realism and violence that permeate the life of its protagonist.
In this paperback edition published by Alfaguara, the reader delves into a story that blends the everyday with the supernatural, exploring memory, loss, and the desire for justice. Set in a marginalized neighborhood, the protagonist — orphaned after her mother’s murder — must face the consequences of her gift and the harsh realities of femicides and human trafficking.
The narrative addresses themes such as mourning, despair, and the search for truth in a harsh social context, yet filled with sensitivity. With an immersive and courageous prose, Dolores Reyes establishes herself as one of the most relevant voices in contemporary Argentine literature.
Synopsis
Cometierra says: «I lay on the ground, without opening my eyes. I had learned that from that darkness shapes were born. I tried to see them and not think of anything else, not even the pain coming from my belly. Nothing, except a gleam that I watched closely until it turned into two black eyes. And little by little, as if made by the night, I saw María’s face, her shoulders, the hair that emerged from the deepest darkness I had ever seen in my life».
When she was a child, Cometierra swallowed earth and knew in a vision that her father had beaten her mother to death. That was the first of many visions. Being born with a gift implies a responsibility towards others, and Cometierra was given one that makes her life doubly difficult: she lives in a neighborhood where violence, neglect, and injustice are felt on every corner, and where the main victims are women.
In the search for truth, the discovery of love, and the care among siblings, Cometierra embarks on a path as painful as it is bright. Dolores Reyes has written a first novel that is lyrical, tender, and brutal, told with a voice that moves from the very first page.
