Translated from Spanish by Frances Riddle
My first read for this year’s Women in translation month is a novel that has been much anticipated by readers of translated fiction. Claudia Piñeiro’s previous novel Elena Knows, also published by Charco press, was a big hit with readers and reviewers and made it onto my books of the year list last year. I was therefore looking forward to reading A Little Luck, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is every bit as good as Elena Knows – perhaps even better. It was a breathless, brilliant read, and I loved every word. Heartbreakingly poignant, Piñeiro’s description of the tragic incident that is at the heart of this novel is superbly done.
“language – like a treacherous route you try to avoid – can be a slippery slope leading down into the places that hurt the most.”
After twenty years a woman is returning from Boston to the suburb in Buenos Aires, Argentina that she fled following a terrible incident. Her name is Mary Logan, at least that is her name now. Her name used to be María Pujol, known as Marilé – and it’s not just her name that has changed. She’s lost weight, cut her hair quite severely, changed her eye colour with the help of contact lenses, with the aid of twenty years, she feels she must look quite different. Even Mary’s voice has changed – more husky, brought on by the stress of what happened twenty years earlier, American sounding following two decades in Boston. Yet she knows deep down that it’s only a matter of time before someone recognises her. Most of the staff at the school will have joined in the twenty years since Mary left the area, but she wonders if anyone from that time will still be there – and what about other members of the community? Will people really have forgotten her?
Her return is work related – she works for an educational institution – and she will be visiting Saint Peter’s School, a place caught up in all that happened to her. The school is seeking accreditation by the institution founded by Mary’s former partner Robert, who has recently died. An institution he had been passionate about and which gave Mary a job as a Spanish teacher when she first arrived in the US. In flashback we see something of Mary’s life in Boston, after she first left Argentina – how broken she was, how instrumental Robert was in helping her heal herself, finding a purpose and a new way of living.
The reader doesn’t know exactly what has happened in Mary’s past – the blurb of the book gives a few clues, but I am avoiding spoilers. These things are only gradually revealed – giving pace to this thoroughly absorbing novel.
“I’ve erased so much of those years. In an effort to forget what caused me so much pain, I forgot the everyday yet inoffensive details as well, street names, businesses, friends, relatives. But it didn’t do any good. Even though I’ve stripped myself of so many memories, the pain is still there, starker and more brutal on its empty stage with all the spotlights focused on it.”
Mary begins the process of interviewing staff at the school – part of the institute’s accreditation process. Everything starts well. The first few interviews pass off without incident. She’s staying in an apartment not too far away, there’s a slight issue with bats but Mary isn’t too worried – and then a shop keeper reacts oddly to Mary – sending her spiralling again.
“‘You remind me of someone,’ she says. My legs go weak. I can’t speak, I wait. I’m scared but also relieved that someone has recognized me, despite the weight loss, the red hair. ‘But no,’ she says, ‘no offence, but if you knew who you remind me of…’ ‘Who?’ I mumble, barely more than a whisper. I ask again without raising my voice: ‘Who?’ She won’t say who, just: ‘Best to forget about her. A horrible woman, never mind, I’m sorry…’”
Then it’s time for the history teacher to have his interview – and Mary is floored by who walks in.
This meeting – prompts Mary to write down her story – to set down exactly what happened then and since, how she felt, how she was treated by others, what that did to her.
This is a wonderful novel – a book very hard to do justice to without spoilers. Those who loved Elena Knows, will I’m sure find much to love here too.
A new author for me, but on the list now thanks!
Glad it’s on your list. 😊
Am about to write my own review of it – like you, I loved this book!
I will look out for your review.
Oh, this sounds brilliant Ali – and thanks for keeping your post spoiler free. I must read this one.
Yes, so good. It’s hard not to give spoilers, but I felt that was important.
Your review makes me want to read this!
I’m very pleased to hear that.
Such a cliffhanger to end your review! Adding this one to my list.
Ha! My work is done. 😉
That sounds very intriguing and a great WITmonth book!
A brilliant read, I think lots of people are reading this during August.
I finished it just this morning, and I agree with you whole-heartedly. A wonderful novel, and quite different to the older book by this author that I read before (Betty Boo, which was a crime novel, but with a journalist lead). I do have Elena Knows on my shelves, and am looking forward to reading it too.
So glad you enjoyed this so much too. I will look out for Betty Boo, I am sure you will enjoy Elena Knows.
This sounds so good, Ali! I really like how Pineriro explores social issues in her fiction, so I’m very intrigued to discover what’s going on here. (It feels as though you’ve done a brilliant job of giving us just enough information to hook us in without revealing anything crucial.) On the list it goes!
I remember how highly you rated Elena Knows, so I am sure you will really like this too. I’m glad I have whetted your appetite without giving anything crucial away.
I’ve neverread this author but this does sound so tempting! Great review Ali 🙂
I think you would probably like this too Madam B. I will be reading more of her I’m sure.
[…] has already been much love for A Little Luck about the blogs (see Ali, Marina Sofia or Eric for starters), and I’m not going to change that, for I loved this novel […]
I loved this too, even more than Elena Knows. I think it was because there was less held back, once the external situation was revealed, the intrigue shifted to the internal revelations, both how she was dealing with the present circumstance and the slow revelation of all that had lead up to that moment. I was in trepidation for how it was going to end and found it beautifully handled. A brilliant and thought provoking read and clever structuring of the unfolding revelations.