Translated fiction set in Venezuela – It would be Night in Caracas

Translated fiction set in Venezuela – It would be Night in Caracas

Sometimes a novel comes along which floors you with its language, subject matter and voice. This is a novel about loss. Loss of a country, the death of a country you love as it slides into lawlessness and a woman faced with a life changing choice.

The novel takes place in Caracas, Venezuela and the city is enmeshed in a power struggle like never before. Anarchy rules the streets, political unrest controls every part of life. The country is sliding into abyss and it’s a tragic state for any country to be in. People are mourning the freedom and the food they once had and missing the days when life was good, before politics and violence blew up that stability. Adelaida at the same time, mourns her mother and through flashbacks to her past, mourns her country. Life when her mother was alive was good and she had a happy childhood. The two stories, one happy, one sad, intertwine to form a rich tapestry of life in Venezuela. It’s heartbreaking, heartwarming and harrowing all at once and a very powerful read in every sense of the word.

I think it’s a very apt book for modern times too as it shows how quickly a state of peace and democracy can change. What would you do to stay safe and how would it feel to have to flee to save your life? What does it feel like to flee your country? How do you survive when your country is falling down around your ears?

It’s extremely moving and sad to read about Adelaida and her mother. I was in bits! It’s definitely a book which I am going to remember for a long while and one which is going to leave its mark.

BookTrail Travel to the locations in  It Would Be Night in Caracas