The Storyteller's Death
A Novel
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- £12.99
Publisher Description
International Latino Book Award Gold Medal Winner!
"A beautiful book about family, memories, and the power of stories." —BuzzFeed
"Mystical, masterful storytelling." —Ms. Magazine
A gorgeously written family saga about a Puerto Rican woman who finds herself gifted (or cursed?) with a strange ability.
There was always an old woman dying in the back room of her family's house when Isla was a child...
Isla Larsen Sanchez's life begins to unravel when her father passes away. Instead of being comforted at home in New Jersey, her mother starts leaving her in Puerto Rico with her grandmother and great-aunt each summer like a piece of forgotten luggage.
When Isla turns eighteen, her grandmother, a great storyteller, dies. It is then that Isla discovers she has a gift passed down through her family's cuentistas. The tales of dead family storytellers are brought back to life, replaying themselves over and over in front of her.
At first, Isla is enchanted by this connection to the Sanchez cuentistas. But when Isla has a vision of an old murder mystery, she realizes that if she can't solve it to make the loop end, these seemingly harmless stories could cost Isla her life.
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APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Family stories take on a life of their own in Ann Dávila Cardinal’s evocative coming-of-age tale. Since the death of her father, young Isla Sanchez has cherished spending summers at her Tia Alma’s house in Puerto Rico, learning about her rich family history. But Isla’s world is shaken when she discovers that the tales she’s been told may not represent the whole truth. This fascinating exploration of family dynamics is set against Puerto Rico’s cultural and political landscape. In between lush descriptions of vibrant open-air markets and agitated political rallies, Cardinal peels back one dark secret after another, uncovering shocking truths about the Sanchez family’s place in the island’s class structure. Full of romance and intrigue, The Storyteller’s Death navigates the line between family history and lore.
