Spanish / Spain
Las lágrimas de Naraguyá
(The tears of Naraguyá)
González Vilar, Catalina
(text)
Boadilla del Monte (Madrid): Ediciones SM, [2017]. – 221 p.
(Series: Gran Angular; 331)
ISBN 978-84-675-9209-2
Amazon | Expedition | Plants | Meteorite | Adventure fiction
Reading age: 13+
White Ravens issue: 2018
In a godforsaken town in the Amazon, Spanish botanist Florencio Méndez (nicknamed Floren) happens upon Prussian researcher Antoninus Kürst (nicknamed Meteo). One is searching for a rare plant, the other for legendary meteorites called “the tears of Naraguyá”. The two young men band together and become friends. Their path leads them into a dangerous world, with remarkable characters and magical moments. Author and cultural anthropologist Catalina González Vilar adds a noteworthy title to the genre of adventure literature. The novel, which also borrows from magical realism, distinguishes itself with language that is both image-rich and multi-faceted, as well as with its individually developed characters. Nature is excellently described and plays an important role, rather than remaining a mere backdrop. Finally, the book is also an homage to the cultures of indigenous peoples, whose diversity and existence are threatened by the colonial and post-colonial expansion.