THE PLAINS (Charco Press, £11.99) by Argentinian author and poet Federico Falco, tells the story of a gay man who moves from the bustling city of Buenos Aires to the small rural town of Zapiola to escape a difficult breakup.

The protagonist reflects on the difference between city and country life, emphasising the profound sense of time in the countryside compared to the city. Falco, beautifully translated by Jennifer Croft, structures the book like a farming calendar, detailing the protagonist’s monthly activities in tending to a rented plot of land, nurturing vegetables and flowers, and immersing himself in the diverse landscape of the Pampas.

The narrative intertwines his rural experiences with memories of building a home with his boyfriend Ciro in the city, creating an almost idyllic urban paradise that eventually comes to an abrupt end. It also tells the narrator’s family history, interspersed with evocative literary quotes.