Land of Smoke [Paperback]

Land of Smoke is one of my favourite books by one of my favourite Argentinian authors.   – Samanta Schweblin, author of Seven Empty Houses

Dazzling, hallucinatory short stories by a rediscovered Argentinian contemporary of García Márquez, whose groundbreaking novel January is being published in English for the first time

Resplendent with otherworldly imagery and beguiling prose, Land of Smoke presents a uniquely compelling voice in Latin American literature.

• An old man wakes up one morning to find that his beloved garden, the envy of all his neighbours, is floating away with him on board.
• A young woman moves to Buenos Aires, bringing with her a replacement head.
• A meek German missionary leaves Paraguay for the Pampas, completely unprepared for what he will encounter there.

Dazzling and hallucinatory, the stories collected here recall the masters of magical realism ­– but with Gallardo’s distinctive, idiosyncratic slant.Shortlisted for the Society of Authors Premio Valle Inclán Prize

Gallardo’s short story collection pushes the form in new and unexpected directions… This is a significant addition to South American literature in translation; the breadth of Gallardo’s imagination expands the canon. — Kirkus Reviews

Remarkable stories. . . a consistently surprising and enigmatic read. — Los Angeles Times

She writes with an air of authority (which Jessica Sequeira has translated from Spanish brilliantly) that begs your trust&helliplƒC