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Book Reviewed by:From the book jacket:
On the afternoon when Angel Allegria
arrives at the Poloverdos' farmhouse, he
kills the farmer and his wife. But he spares
their child, Paolo – a young boy who will
claim this as the day on which he was born.
Together the killer and the boy begin a new
life on this remote and rugged stretch of
land in Chile.
Then Luis Secunda, a well-to-do and educated
fellow from the city descends upon them.
Paolo is caught in the paternal rivalry
between the two men. But life resumes its
course . . . until circumstances force the
three to leave the farm. In doing so, Angel
and Luis confront their pasts as well as
their inevitable destinies – destinies that
profoundly shape Paolo’s own future.
Comment: The Killer's Tears
won the 2004 Prix Sorcieres (the premiere
French literary awards for young people's
fiction) in the adolescent category, and is
being marketed as a teen book in the US.
It would be interesting to know whether, along
with the award, the book achieved high sales
in France amongst teenagers. If so, kudos
to French teens, because it is a very dark
little tale that would go over the
heads of the many American teens who are
more into magic than magical realism.
However, for adult readers and for some older teens this redemptive tale of forgiveness and loss will strike a nerve and be remembered for some time to come.
"This spare but emotionally charged story is
stylistically adult.... A lovely story for
the right audience." - Kirkus.
"Exceptional book, recommended for junior
and senior high school students." - KLIATT.
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in April 2006, and has been updated for the
May 2007 edition.
Click here to go to this issue.
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