The Discreet Hero

In this tale of two Peruvians in separate cities who each stand up to injustice, the Nobel laureate is “a master playing at his craft” (Los Angeles Times).

Felícito Yanaqué, a small businessman in the Peruvian city of Piura, finds himself the victim of blackmail—and finds within himself the will to refuse. Meanwhile, Ismael Carrera, a successful owner of an insurance company in Lima, cooks up a plan to avenge himself against the two lazy sons who want him dead. As their small acts of rebellion unfold, their lives are destined to intersect.

In The Discreet Hero, Vargas Llosa examines the possibilities of honorable individuals who insist on taking control of their destinies. He also revisits some unforgettable characters from his previous novels: Sergeant Lituma, Don Rigoberto, Doña Lucrecia, and Fonchito are all here in a prosperous Peru. Vargas Llosa sketches Piura and Lima vividly—and the cities become not merely physical spaces but realms of the imagination populated by his vivid characters.

A novel whose humor and pathos shine through in Edith Grossman’s masterly translation, The Discreet Hero is another remarkable achievement from the finest Latin American novelist at work today.