Spanish / Argentina
La chica pájaro
(The bird girl)
Bombara, Paula
(text)
Buenos Aires: Norma, 2015. – 171 p.
(Series: Zona libre)
ISBN 978-987-545-681-5
Family | Domestic violence | Courage
Reading age: 12+
White Ravens issue: 2016
Mara’s apathetic mother is gradually falling apart living with her abusive partner, whose son is making pushy advances towards Mara – the girl just can’t take it anymore and flees to a tree in the middle of a city square in Buenos Aires. There she stows herself away like a scared, wounded bird in its nest. Leonor, a retired woman, wins Mara’s trust, takes her in and helps her speak. And shy Darío, who falls in love with her, also helps the girl gradually remember that she is valuable. Despite big setbacks, thanks to Leonor and Darío she manages to make the first steps out of the imprisonment of her domestic misery. With “La chica pájaro”, Paula Bombara offers a gripping, resonating novel about domestic violence, whose many facets come together through the various voices of the main characters. The sometimes staccato-like rhythm of the short sentences and the breathless flow of Mara’s words and thoughts suitably mirror the protagonist’s psychological states.