Description
Book SynopsisThe history of Peru unfolds in the lives of the descendants of seven children fathered by a Catholic priest and his longtime secret lover.
Renato Cisneros's great-great-grandmother Nicolasa bore seven children by her long-term secret love, who was also her priest, raising them alone in nineteenth century Peru. More than a century later, Renato, the descendent of that clandestine affair, struggles to wring information about his origins out of recalcitrant relatives, whose foibles match the adventures and dalliances of their ancestors. As buried secrets are brought into the light, the story of Nicolasa's progeny unfolds, bound up with key moments in the development of the Republic of Peru since its independence.
Trade Review"This thorough account of a powerful family will intrigue fans of Latin American literature." —Publishers Weekly
"An absorbing exploration of one family's clandestine roots and inherited lies. (4 stars)" —The Wee Review
"A relentless search by a writer to discover his family secrets." —Morning Star
"Excellent and thought provoking." —You Shall Leave Your Land
**********
Praise for Renato Cisneros
"An extraordinary family story... Renato Cisneros delivers here the captivating narrative of a strange and disturbing filiation.
A loving and lucid puzzle." —Le Monde
"This is a book to set alongside Philip Roth’s Patrimony, Héctor Abad’s Oblivion, Paul Auster’s The Invention of Solitude, Martin Amis’s Experience, Albert Camus’ The First Man, and of course Kafka’s Letter to His Father." —Le Figaro Littéraire
"Cisneros is a phenomenon in Latin America today." —El País
"The Distance Between Us goes far and appeals to the reader exactly because there is so little distance between what is written and what was lived."" —Alberto Fuguet , author of BAD VIBES
"Just as a father is never prepared to bury his son, a son is never prepared to dig up his father”(...) It is within this tension that this magnificent novel lies, full of drama and suspense from the very first page."" —Edmundo Paz Soldán , author of TURING'S DELIRIUM and NORTE
"The Distance Between Us is the story of a villain told from love. It dwells in the humanity hidden behind the themes left by war. It also narrates that other war: the one which all of us wage against our parents to become the persons we are."" —Santiago Roncagliolo , author of RED APRIL
"No one that reads this book will be able to look at their family in the same way again."" —Gabriela Wiener , author of SEXOGRAPHIES and NINE MOONS
"This is an impressive book. In writing it the author demonstrates great talent, as well as great courage."" —Mario Vargas Llosa , author of THE TIME OF THE HERO and CONVERSATION IN THE CATHEDRAL
"People should read this novel to learn more about themselves."" —Jorge Edwards , author of PERSONA NON GRATA
Globetrotting: Your sneak preview of books in translation —New York Times
"A book so intelligent and moving, you wish it would never end." —Libération
