Simpatia by Rodrigo Blanco Calderon

A suspenseful novel with unexpected twists and turns about the agony of Venezuela and the collapse of Chavismo. Translated from Spanish by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn.

Set in the Venezuela of Nicolas Maduro amid a mass exodus of the intellectual class who have been leaving their pets behind. Ulises Kan, the protagonist and a movie buff, receives a text message from his wife, Paulina, saying she is leaving the country (and him). Ulises is not heartbroken, but liberated by Paulina’s departure. As two other events end up disrupting his life even further, Ulises discovers that he has been entrusted with a mission – to transform Los Argonautas, the great family home, into a shelter for abandoned dogs. If he manages to do it in time, he will inherit the luxurious apartment that he had shared with Paulina.

Paperback
Publication: 7 March 2024, Seven Stories Press
ISBN: 9781911710073
Extent: 256 pages