Spanish / Mexico
Ikigai
(The meaning of life)
Dellutri, Ezequiel
(text)
Hernández, Israel
(illus.)
Ciudad de México: El Naranjo, 2023. – 153 p.
(Series: Colección Mar de cuentos. Para jóvenes lectores)
ISBN 978-607-8807-37-6
Grandfather | Grandson | Intergenerational relationship | Family conflict | Old age | Dementia
Reading age: 13+
White Ravens issue: 2024
After the death of his beloved grandmother, Bruno is not interested in visiting his grandfather, who has become withdrawn and grumpy. But when it becomes evident that the old man is suffering from dementia, a relationship tentatively begins to develop between the two. The novel portrays how they continue to grow closer, full of nuance and with a sense for the moods and facets of a relationship that is never easy. It also depicts Bruno’s day-to-day life, how he falls in love, and his search for a purpose in life (»Ikigai«). The other characters – friends, family or the grandfather’s caretaker – are also convincingly portrayed. In all these cases, throughout the story, the author deals with the question of how to live, how to get along with each other, how to show understanding for others even in difficult times, and how to end one thing and begin something new. Ezequiel Dellutri has succeeded in creating a realistic novel because family conflicts are not omitted, and the characters are shown with all their faults and scars. [JW]