English Language Fiction from Chile
NEW RELEASE! December 2, 2024
Contemporary, character-driven novels by Edie Ayala | Upmarket fiction with multiple narratives | Books for bookclubs | Stories from Chile in English
Allow yourself to be transported to lesser-known climes and into the hearts and minds of quirky characters who surprise even themselves…
Get a taste before you dive in.
View the Mundane through a Magical Lens
Sprinkled with magic realism, Ayala’s novels weave readers through a captivating tapestry where the spiritual intertwines with the mystical.
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“The sun was so moved by her pain and devotion that he asked the moon to remain a little longer to offer some kind— any kind— of maternal celestial solace. The moon stayed on, shining her knowing half-smile, drying the tears on Clorinda’s cheeks and stroking her hair before disappearing into the waking sky. Exhausted, Clorinda climbed back out over the cemetery wall, slowly walked home and fell into bed, ignoring the baker’s assistant who was pounding on her door with an arm full of aprons.” — SOUTH OF CENTRE
“Herself a believer in destiny and a true adventurer, the celestial blue sweater with the joyous pink clouds and yellow stars was delighted to be sent out with the dozens of old suits, colorful rayon and polyester track pants, jeans, Hawaiian shirts, t-shirts, pajamas, blouses, evening dresses and large number of polyester-blend machine knitted sweaters that found their way down to Chile as part of the White Linen Charity’s maiden shipment.“—THREADS
Explore a Delightfully Eccentric Universe
Meet the characters who navigate through plots with sharp wit and humor, leaving you in stitches and pondering the unexpected, long after you have turned the last page.
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“He insisted on the 70s’ style, feathered and long at the back, because it made him look so damned handsome. “Watch,” he predicted, “the rest of the world will come round full circle because this is a classic ‘do’ and I’ll be the first one to say ‘I told you so’.” He was lost in the past, stuck in the groove, like a needle caught in the vinyl track of his most popular hit song whose title was ‘This is the Moment of Forever.’ — HARD BED HOTEL
“Columba marched in to the beat of her navy-blue platform shoes, the ones she’d pilfered from the Bata store when the clerk wasn’t looking. Her stout figure was backlit by the mid-afternoon desert sun whose rays grinned through the frame of the front door… Sunlight peered through her crepe dress, outlining her spindly thighs. Her knees, like rusty hinges, seemed that they would collapse under the weight of the oversized pear that was her torso. Thin fingers of sunlight raked through the spaces of her carefully backcombed, peroxide nest. Columba had arrived early for lunch.” —THREADS
Embark on a Cultural Journey
Travel through lesser-known landscapes, exploring diverse narratives enriched with insightful social and cultural commentary.
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“All he knew of the altiplano was its eternal underground and all he could see for the future were dark rock caves – that is, until he knocked free a piece of quartz about seven centimetres in diametre that was more gold than crystal. Standing at the end of his rope, his helmet lantern focused on what was sitting on the palm of his oversized glove, Orlando del Transito Ortega de Riveras made a decision to run with it.“—SOUTH OF CENTRE
“What does one do after an earthquake? One goes home, hoping to be able to sit down peacefully in one’s familiar surroundings and sigh with relief, grateful to be unharmed. But as he made his way on foot from Slaughterhouse Square to the city centre, clambering over rubble and through the turmoil of the streets, he knew long before rounding the final corner, that his building was a lost cause.” —HARD BED HOTEL
“Steady work for nearly three years had taught Gavin a few things. The first thing it taught him was that he wasn’t really a steady employee kind of guy. The second thing it taught him was that he was capable of persevering, and thirdly it taught him that he was capable of doing things he didn’t know he could do and that he didn’t even like to do. And that he could do them all very well. He surprised himself with – what did his Dad call it? – good work ethic.” —THREADS
Free samples are available from each of the book pages.
The Eye of the Sea
A story of political intrigue and a family’s dark past.
When a woman dies in her upscale apartment during Chile’s 2019 social uprising, the truth is meant to be buried with her. However, a front-line activist uncovers the truth and must confront his own long-held beliefs.
South of Centre
An intriguing saga of hidden family connections.
Dipping into some of Chile’s rich history around the time of Pinochet’s regime, South of Centre unfolds through multiple narratives and is peppered with magic realism. The story raises questions about social justice and other things that you can never quite get to the bottom of.
Hard Bed Hotel
A humorous story that mistakes the living for the dead trips along to a delightfully unexpected end.
Everything goes wrong but maybe it’s right, as heaven and earth settle into an unexpected juxtaposition in this twisted Latin tale that is doused with humor and magic realism.
Threads
One woman has an extraordinary gift, another woman desperately needs one and the man in the middle is indifferent.
Two women on opposite ends of the world strive to get by, and their distinct coping methods take bizarre twists. The story is about overcoming loss and our shared humanity.