A poignant, thoughtful, and moving look deep into the lives of nine women and the woman that brought them to this healing point in their lives.
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SUMMARY
Nine Chilean women from different walks of life are brought together by their beloved therapist, Natasha, to share their stories with each other. From a teenage girl confronting her sexual identity to a middle-aged recluse, these women have nothing in common. The women represent many cultural, racial, and social groups that comprised modern Chile. From housekeeper to celebrity television personality, together their stories form a collage that is at times achingly sad, and at other times funny and inspiring. As the women tell their stories many unlikely common threads are discovered and bonds are formed. Their separate stories form an intricately woven tale of triumph, heartache and healing that will resonate with women everywhere.
“How these women move me. How they sadden me. Why did half of humanity take on such a great burden and leave the other half to rest?”
REVIEW
What a interesting work of fiction! By having each woman tell her own story you are drawn into the book and it feels so real. I would not have been surprised if you told me this was a work of non-fiction. The first story is Francisca’s who is forty two, successful in real estate development, but not so much with life in general or in her relationship with her mother. She tells us she hates her mother and she been in therapy with Natasha the longest. Then we hear Mané’s story, who is seventy-five the oldest of the women, and says she used to be gorgeous, and her story is about her personal shame of aging. She says the movie Sunset Boulevard is like the story of her life. There are also the stories of a women who was raped by soldiers on a trip to Israel, and a popular television reporter who is not sure who she is and cannot sleep without medication. The voice of each woman is strong and moving, despite telling a painful or horrific story.
Gripping and evocative, the women’s stories will haunt you well after the the last page is turned. It’s a beautifully written work that should have wide appeal with all women of a certain age. The part I like most was the diversity of the women included in the story. My least favorite part of the book was having Natasha’s story, which is rightfully told last, be told by her long time assistant. If you are looking for a book with a plot and a story line, this is not the book for you. This book’s strength is in it’s first person storytelling format.
“Being old is always feeling tired. It’s waking up tired, it’s going around all day tired, and it’s going to bed tired.”
MARCELLA SERRANO is an award winning Chilean novelist. Her debut novel We Love You So Much won the Literary Prize in Santiago. She is widely considered one of the best Latin American writers working today.
Translated Beth Fowler
Narrated Marisol Ramirez
Publisher BrillianceAudio/ AmazonCrossing
Publication February 25, 2014