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"A wise, lonely novel . . . [and an] honest reflection of exile."
—The New Yorker
In the tradition of Roberto Bolaño's Savage Detectives, a celebrated classic and heart-wrenching story of a family torn apart by the forces of history, by one of Latin America's most celebrated writers
The late Mario Benedetti’s work was often ranked with “such esteemed Latin American writers as Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes and Julio Cortázar” (The Washington Post) and his novel The Truce has sold millions of copies around the world. His extraordinary novel Springtime in a Broken Mirror revolves around Santiago, a political prisoner in Uruguay, who was jailed after a brutal military coup that saw many of his comrades flee elsewhere. Santiago, feeling trapped, can do nothing but write letters to his family and try to stay sane.
Far away, his nine-year-old daughter Beatrice wonders at the marvels of Buenos Aires, but her grandpa and mother—Santiago’s beautiful, careworn wife, Graciela—struggle to adjust to a life in exile.
Published now for the first time in English, Springtime in a Broken Mirror tells with tenderness and fury of the indelible imprint politics leaves on individual lives. Generous and unflinching, it asks whether the broken bonds of family and history can ever truly be mended. Written by one of the masters of the Latin American novel, this is the story of a fractured continent, chronicled through the lives of a single family.
"A wise, lonely novel [and an] "honest reflection of exile."
—The New Yorker
A "rich, heartbreaking novel. . . . Benedetti's tender yet unflinching portrait of a family in the crushing straits of history is a welcome addition to the small (and hopefully growing) catalogue of his work that has been translated into English."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
—Kirkus Reviews
—José Saramago
—Malcolm Forbes, The National
—Jay Parini, author of The Last Station and The Damascus Road
"Springtime in a Broken Mirror is written like a psalm—a beautiful meditation on exile, dictatorships and the lives elevated and isolated by the struggle against both."
—Fatima Bhutto, author of Song of Blood and Sword and The Shadow of the Crescent Moon
Praise for Mario Benedetti:
"One of Latin America's most respected, popular and prolific writers, who excelled as a novelist, poet, playwright and essayist while immersing himself in the region's political struggles."
—The New York Times
"In Latin America and Spain, [Benedetti] is remembered above all as a poet who sought to speak of love and political commitment as directly and passionately as possible. In one of his last poems he gave the instructions: 'When I'm buried / don't forget to put a Biro in my coffin.'"
—The Guardian