Where There Was Fire
Published on 29. August 2023
288 pages
978-1-0350-4141-1 (ISBN)
Description
Where there was fire, ashes remain . . .
Costa Rica, 1968.
A deadly fire rips through the American Fruit Company's most lucrative banana plantation, destroying all evidence of a massive cover-up.
That same night, Teresa Cepeda Valverde's mother is murdered, and her husband vanishes into the darkness.
Decades later, as a hurricane twists through the streets of Barrio Avila, Teresa's estranged daughter Lyra begins to piece together the mysteries lost in the blaze. In her desire to find the truth of her own family's rupture, she uncovers a web of devastating betrayals, stoked by machismo, jealousy and greed.
Where There Was Fire brims with ancestral spirits, omens and the forces of nature. John Manuel Arias's extraordinary debut novel weaves a brilliant tapestry of love - lost and found again - and, ultimately, redemption.
'A haunting, operatic saga of family, history and place. . . An utterly original, unforgettable tale of family that will sear a place in the reader's soul' - Xochitl Gonzalez, bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming
'An ambitious debut novel . . . The combination of legend and dream sequences, characters spellbound by hallucinations, toxic odours and huge cane toads, adds to the sense of a society ill at ease with nature and itself' - Times Literary Supplement
Costa Rica, 1968.
A deadly fire rips through the American Fruit Company's most lucrative banana plantation, destroying all evidence of a massive cover-up.
That same night, Teresa Cepeda Valverde's mother is murdered, and her husband vanishes into the darkness.
Decades later, as a hurricane twists through the streets of Barrio Avila, Teresa's estranged daughter Lyra begins to piece together the mysteries lost in the blaze. In her desire to find the truth of her own family's rupture, she uncovers a web of devastating betrayals, stoked by machismo, jealousy and greed.
Where There Was Fire brims with ancestral spirits, omens and the forces of nature. John Manuel Arias's extraordinary debut novel weaves a brilliant tapestry of love - lost and found again - and, ultimately, redemption.
'A haunting, operatic saga of family, history and place. . . An utterly original, unforgettable tale of family that will sear a place in the reader's soul' - Xochitl Gonzalez, bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming
'An ambitious debut novel . . . The combination of legend and dream sequences, characters spellbound by hallucinations, toxic odours and huge cane toads, adds to the sense of a society ill at ease with nature and itself' - Times Literary Supplement
Reviews / Votes
A lush and ambitious debut . . . An exciting new voice with a prowess for lyricism * Publishers Weekly * Every page is a masterclass in how to wrap a reader inside of a book. Simply put, this book will make you want to re-read it just to spend more time with the writing. * Debutiful * A haunting, operatic saga of family, history and place. Where There Was Fire beautifully braids love, lust, magic and the destructive power of man to wondrous and, at times, heartbreaking effect. Arias has created an utterly original, unforgettable tale of family that will sear a place in the reader's soul -- Xochitl Gonzalez, bestselling author of <i>Olga Dies Dreaming</i> An arresting tale of love, regret, and redemption. John Manuel Arias offers a searing look into the legacy of American agribusiness in Costa Rica and masterfully tells the story of a family fighting to put itself back together in the wake of unimaginable loss. As poetic as it is powerful, Where There Was Fire burns with rage and grief, and most of all, hope -- Jenny Tinghui Zhang, author of <i>Four Treasures of the Sky</i>More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
File size
1,32 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-4141-1 (9781035041411)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
John Manuel Arias is a queer, Costa Rican American poet and writer. He has lived in Washington, DC; Brooklyn, New York; and in San Jose, Costa Rica, with his grandmother and four ghosts. Where There Was Fire is his first novel.
