The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos by Margaret Mascarenhas

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Venezuelan novelist Mascarenhas's U.S. debut is a passionate and sweeping novel set against the backdrop of her home country's violent history, focused on the pregnant Lily, soon to deliver her first child. After suffering a fall and rejecting the suggestion of an emergency C-section, Lily returns home and is put on bed rest for the remainder of her confinement. To assist in the safe arrival of the baby, her family and friends begin a novena -- a nine-day period of prayer -- to honor Maria Lionza, a mythical character believed to light a path for lost souls.

Each night during the novena, someone from Lily's circle shares a story from his or her life. These stories celebrate love in various forms -- brotherly, sisterly, parental, and romantic -- as they demonstrate one's willingness to sacrifice when love is seen as the reward. And as the days of her confinement wind down and her labor begins, Lily's obsession with the mysterious disappearance of a childhood friend is slowly resolved.

Full of the magic, mystery, and full-bodied characters readers have come to expect of the best South American fiction, The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos is as luscious and rich as the culture it reflects, and will likely find a following among fans of Junot Díaz, Julia Alvarez, and Christina García. (Fall 2009 Selection)

From the Publisher

Irene dos Santos disappeared at age 15. Believed to have drowned while on holiday with her best friend, Lily Martinez, her body was never found. Now, years later, she appears ghostlike in Lily's dreams, prompting a quest for the truth behind her disappearance. Mysteriously, Lily, eight-months pregnant with her first child, slips and falls on the same day that the statue of Maria Lionza, Patron Saint of their Venezuelan town, cracks in two. Confined to her bed, Lily is surrounded by her family and closest friends, who agree that a Novena to Maria Lionza will guide the baby's spirit safely into the world. Together, through their nine nights of prayer, each offers a story to entertain Lily and her baby. What emerges is a vivid picture of Venezuela during a time of revolution and uncertainty-and the unraveling of the mystery behind Irene dos Santos.

"The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos is an intricately woven tale of love and memory from a deeply talented writer."
—- Laila Lalami, author of Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits and Secret Son

"Mascarenhas uses a 15-year-old girl's disappearance to spin a multilayered history of a Venezuelan family, incorporating folklore, political intrigue and magical realism...This family epic is immersive; no character or event is left unexplored from multiple perspectives. Indeed, the conclusion is like the final piece of an intricate puzzle." —Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly

In her second novel, Mascarenhas (Skin) uses a 15-year-old girl's disappearance to spin a multilayered history of a Venezuelan family, incorporating folklore, political intrigue and magical realism. Charismatic and rebellious, teenage Irene Dos Santos goes missing while on vacation with her best friend, Lily Martinez, and her parents; she's introduced through Lily's meandering memories, which seem at first like a convenient exposition dump. However, Mascarenhas sticks to the shaggy dog style, passing her close third-person narration from Lily to eight other characters, including Lily's parents and a seemingly unrelated boy named Efraín. Other recurring themes tying together disparate plot strands: an underground political struggle, the legend of unofficial saint Maria Lionza, telenovela screenwriting and the act of storytelling (a Martinez family obsession). At times overwhelming in its breathless explosions of information, this family epic is immersive; no character or event is left unexplored from multiple perspectives. Indeed, the conclusion is like the final piece of an intricate puzzle. (June)

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