ANGUS REID, ANDY HEDGECOCK and MARIA DUARTE review On The Sea, A Useful Ghost, Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, and Pinocchio Unstrung
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A bonanza of the best LatinX literature
LEO BOIX selects the best books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction written by Latinx and Latin American authors published this year
RON JACOBS enjoys a great tale, told by a US communist, of the lives of working-class New Yorkers
BRENT CUTLER searches a new history of contemporary Iran for an understanding of the Islamic Republic, finding both interesting detail and glaring omissions
MARIA DUARTE recommends the true story of the remarkable woman who sued Donald Trump for sexual assault not once, but twice
KENNY MacASKILL is disappointed by a polemical, rather than factual, account of the Lone Star State and its political path since the civil war
PAUL DONOVAN is fascinated by the lives of Charles and Mary Bagot, and the insight this biography shines on the morals of pre-Victorian society
GORDON PARSONS appreciates fine performances and a feel for ambiguity, but misses the music of the dialogue
The year 2024 has proven remarkable for Latinx and Latin American fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, featuring an extensive range of literary works that have exceeded all expectations.
Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology, edited by Rigoberto Gonzalez (Library of America, £30), is the first to encompass Latinx poetry from colonial to contemporary works. Featuring over 180 poets and an insightful introduction by Gonzalez, this collection showcases diverse voices, themes, languages, and stories. “‘Latino’ is a complex term with no single narrative. This anthology transcends stereotypes, reflecting the richness of Latino poetry,” writes Gonzalez. Highlights include poems by Ernesto Cardenal, Cecilia Vicuna, and Javier Zamora. In Zamora's poignant El Salvador, he expresses: “Tonight, how I wish/ you made it easier to love you, Salvador. Make it easier/ to never have to risk our lives.”
An exceptional anthology.
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