'Things We Lost In The Fire,' our next MashReads book, explores the surreal ways history shapes the present
History never truly stays behind us. Whether it shapes the conditions of our present or composes the myths that guide us into the future, our history continually echoes out from the past.
This theme rings loud and clear in Mariana Enriquez's debut story collection Things We Lost In The Fire.
Throughout its 12 stories, Things We Lost In The Fire explores a host of characters and scenarios shaped by Argentina's fraught and violent history — a girl who believes she is the last person to see a homeless child before he disappears, teens who see ghosts after they've broken into a hotel, practitioners of black magic, and more. Each story strikes a tricky balance: using a mythic past to depict a somber present. The result is a collection defined by a grounded surrealism, stories populated by ghosts (metaphorical and sometimes literal) and other super natural elements without ever straying from reality.
Jarring and imaginative, Things We Lost In The Fire is a debut story collection that will stick with you long after you've flipped the last page.
This month Mashable's social book club MashReads is reading Things We Lost In The Fire. You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. And don't forget to use the hashtag #MashReads to let us know what you think of the book.
We'll also be discussing the book with Enriquez via Facebook Live on Wednesday, May 3 at 1 p.m. ET. Be sure to follow MashReads on Facebook and tune in.
Also, MashReads will be talking about Things We Lost In The Fire IRL in partnership with Strand Book Store in New York City. Join MashReads and Strand at Strand Book Store (directions here) on Thursday, May 11 at 6 p.m. ET on Strand's second floor for a night of books, friends, and fun at our informal book club discussion of Things We Lost In The Fire. Strand is also giving MashReaders a 15 percent discount off the book for anybody who purchases the book online with the discount code MASHREADS here.
RSVP here and join us for a night of books, friends and fun.
Happy Reading!
Topics Books
