Join us to celebrate the publication of two new fantastic novels coming from Europa Editions for Miami-based historical novelist Chantel Acevedo and Colombian literary giant Santiago Gamboa.
A sweeping new historical novel from acclaimed author Chantel Acevedo, The Living Infinite is inspired by the true story of the Spanish princess Eulalia, an outspoken firebrand at the Bourbon court during the troubled final years of her family’s reign. Chantel Acevedo’s last novel, The Distant Marvels, was (excluding Ferrante) Europa’s best selling novel of 2015. Acevedo’s new novel is an atmospheric and gripping tale of love, adventure, power and one woman’s quest to take control of her destiny in a society whose rules aim to rein her in. Bourbon Spain, Revolutionary Cuba, and fin-de-siècle America are vividly rendered and Eulalia’s personal rebellion resonates long after the final page of this captivating saga.
“[The Living Infinite] is a vivid and enthralling tale of love and redemption.”— Booklist
“Fresh, fast-moving historical fiction from a master storyteller.” —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Chantel Acevedo was born in Miami to Cuban parents. She is the author of A Falling Star (Carolina Wren Press, 2014), Love and Ghost Letters (St. Martins, 2006), winner of the Latino International Book Award, and The Distant Marvels (Europa, 2015). Acevedo is an Associate Professor of English in the MFA Program at the University of Miami.
Return to the Dark Valley travels between European cities scarred by terrorism that have turned increasingly xenophobic, Latin American landscapes that carry their own sense of danger enveloped in “new world” promise, and the African continent, which has exerted a shadowy fascination on the European psyche throughout the ages. Santiago Gamboa’s newest novel to be translated into English, Return to the Dark Valley, is a polyphonic novel that spans centuries and continents in its exploration of the themes of exile, human frailty, and the impossibility of return. Written in the sparkling prose and with the masterful suspense that have made Santiago Gamboa an international literary sensation, Return to the Dark Valley is a richly imagined portrait of a turbulent world where liberation is found in perpetual movement and determined exploration.
“Gamboa’s work calls to mind Roberto Bolaño in its masterful suspense, complex literary references, and frank depiction of violence, sex, and drugs.” —Publishers Weekly
“Gamboa’s talent at cultivating intrigue and the extravagant energy of his stories make him compulsive reading.”—Times Literary Supplement
Novelist, short story writer, and journalist, Santiago Gamboa was born in Colombia in 1965. His American debut, published by Europa in 2012, was the novel Necropolis, winner of the Otra Orilla Literary Prize. He is also the author of Night Prayers (Europa, 2016).