Synopses & Reviews
These three novellas, by a writer who has earned her place in the forefront of Central American literature, explore three critical stages in a woman's life and are an extraordinary example of Claribel Alegria's ability to weave the magical and the real, the fantastic and the horrific. Karen, a young 'corrupted' Catholic school girl, talks to the walls and forms a strange relationship with an especially prudish nun. Ximena, a Nicaraguan woman living in Paris, finds herself being drawn into the 1979 revolution even though she is thousands of miles away. Marcia moves with her husband to Deya, a small mystical town in Mallorca where everyday life is a bizarre mixture of the supernatural and natural worlds.
Review
"Alegria's beautifully crafted stories, full of vitality, magic and horror, celebrates life...Family Album is a superb example of the integration of her imagination and narrative skills." --Jorge Ruffinelli
Review
"In Family Album, Claribel Alegria, with her accustomed gift of language and authencity, weaves the life histories of three unusual women surrounded by myrth, magic and the turbulent landscape of Central Ameria. Alegria creates an extraordinary work unmatched in Central American fiction."--Marjorie Agosin
About the Author
Clara Isabel Alegría Vides (born May 12, 1924) is a Nicaraguan poet, essayist, novelist, and journalist who was a major voice in the literature of contemporary Central America. She writes under the pseudonym Claribel Alegría.
Table of Contents
The talisman -- Family album -- Village of God and the Devil.