The Dinner Guest
The Dinner Guest
Gabriela Ybarra
Translated from the Spanish by Natasha Wimmer
Longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize
In 1977, three terrorists broke into Gabriela Ybarra’s grandfather’s home, and pointed a gun at him in the shower. This was the last time his family saw him alive, and his kidnapping played out in the press, culminating in his murder. Ybarra first heard the story when she was eight, but it was only after her mother’s death, years later, that she felt the need to go deeper and discover more about her family’s past.
The Dinner Guest is a novel with the feel of documentary nonfiction. It connects two life-changing events—the very public death of Ybarra’s grandfather, and the more private pain as her mother dies from cancer and Gabriela cares for her. Devastating and luminous, the book is an investigation, marking the arrival of a talented new voice in international fiction.
Praise for The Dinner Guest
“A seamless blend of art, politics, and private life."—NPR
"This autobiographical novel is one of the most fascinating debuts of this year."—Book Riot
"Inventive . . . Ybarra brings us through the process with the objectivity and forensic eye of a true crime writer, allowing glimpses of poignancy . . . the mother's grace and courage in the face of death is captured by her daughter . . . The writing sparkles throughout . . . Ybarra has done herself and her family proud in a story that is full of light and shade."—The Irish Times
"Intriguing and sharp."—Metro
Product Info
First Published: May 28, 2019
Fiction/Literary
5.25 x 8 | 154 pages
Rights: US
978-1-945492-24-2 (paperback)
978-1-945492-26-6 (ebook)