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On a Night of a Thousand Stars
New York, 1998. Santiago Larrea, a wealthy Argentine diplomat, is holding court alongside his wife, Lila, and their daughter, Paloma, a college student and budding jewelry designer, at their annual summer polo match and soiree. All seems perfect in the Larreas’ world—until an unexpected party guest from Santiago's university days shakes his usually unflappable demeanor. The woman's cryptic comments spark Paloma’s curiosity about her father’s past, of which she knows little.
When the family travels to Buenos Aires for Santiago's UN ambassadorial appointment, Paloma is determined to learn more about his life in the years leading up to the military dictatorship of 1976. With the help of a local university student, Franco Bonetti, an activist member of H.I.J.O.S.—a group whose members are the children of the desaparecidos, or the “disappeared,” men and women who were forcibly disappeared by the state during Argentina’s “Dirty War”—Paloma unleashes a chain of events that not only leads her to question her family and her identity, but also puts her life in danger.
In compelling fashion, On a Night of a Thousand Stars speaks to relationships, morality, and identity during a brutal period in Argentinian history, and the understanding—and redemption—people crave in the face of tragedy.
When the family travels to Buenos Aires for Santiago's UN ambassadorial appointment, Paloma is determined to learn more about his life in the years leading up to the military dictatorship of 1976. With the help of a local university student, Franco Bonetti, an activist member of H.I.J.O.S.—a group whose members are the children of the desaparecidos, or the “disappeared,” men and women who were forcibly disappeared by the state during Argentina’s “Dirty War”—Paloma unleashes a chain of events that not only leads her to question her family and her identity, but also puts her life in danger.
In compelling fashion, On a Night of a Thousand Stars speaks to relationships, morality, and identity during a brutal period in Argentinian history, and the understanding—and redemption—people crave in the face of tragedy.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2022
312 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 675 reviews
April 22, 2022
really fascinating story due to the fact i have never heard of argentinas ‘desaparecidos’ before - such a sad moment in history. however, the writing is so emotionally stunted and stale that i never really felt anything beyond mild attentiveness the entire time reading this.
i also found myself enjoying the past POV chapters more than the present ones. i thought the story was a little more interesting and i think third person POV works better for the authors writing style than first person does.
i like that this book brought my attention to a topic i had never heard of before, but i just wish the writing had a little more feeling to help me connect to the story and characters more.
↠ 3.5 stars
i also found myself enjoying the past POV chapters more than the present ones. i thought the story was a little more interesting and i think third person POV works better for the authors writing style than first person does.
i like that this book brought my attention to a topic i had never heard of before, but i just wish the writing had a little more feeling to help me connect to the story and characters more.
↠ 3.5 stars
April 26, 2022
I’m always a sucker for a South American story and a good cover.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998.
Paloma is determined to find out about her father’s life and his role during the Dirty War in the 70’s.
The story flips from her current life to what she discovers of his earlier one.
What she uncovers tells of brutal events that took place during the upheaval and the years leading up to the military dictatorship in 1976. The dark and silenced history of the disappearance of many who were thought to be a threat. Students, artists, unionists, intellectuals - anyone who could have a thought that contradicted the paramilitary. Illegal adoption rings from women who had disappeared. A love story interwoven.
There is so much brutal history in this continent that is incongruent with the beauty of this lush land.
A fascinating yet harsh reality of a past dark history that generations will feel for decades.
4.25⭐️
This is a debut - I found the beginning a little too much telling but it did improve as the story went on.
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998.
Paloma is determined to find out about her father’s life and his role during the Dirty War in the 70’s.
The story flips from her current life to what she discovers of his earlier one.
What she uncovers tells of brutal events that took place during the upheaval and the years leading up to the military dictatorship in 1976. The dark and silenced history of the disappearance of many who were thought to be a threat. Students, artists, unionists, intellectuals - anyone who could have a thought that contradicted the paramilitary. Illegal adoption rings from women who had disappeared. A love story interwoven.
There is so much brutal history in this continent that is incongruent with the beauty of this lush land.
A fascinating yet harsh reality of a past dark history that generations will feel for decades.
4.25⭐️
This is a debut - I found the beginning a little too much telling but it did improve as the story went on.
May 2, 2022
NYC, 1998. Palomita’s family is from Argentina. She doesn’t know about her parents lives during the dictatorship. And at a recent event, a friend of her father’s mentions something that makes her join her parents, when asked to go to their ranch in Argentina for a couple weeks. There, she makes her investigative work to find out about a safe house her father built during the turbulent times of Argentina to help others in danger.
Argentina, 1973. Santiago Larrera is a law student, when Peron returns to Buenos Aires from his exile in Madrid, and when he also meets Valentina. They have an instant attraction. He is from an elite family and she is from a working-class family. At times, he shifts to doing some things he may not have done previously such as protests.
During the dictatorship, thousands of people were kidnapped, tortured, and assassinated by the Armed Forces. In the present timeline, there are those who have been marginalized, because of their past. They seek justice for the crimes committed to their families.
The first half of the story feels character-driven with mystery surrounding the father. The second half is plot-driven with Palomita trying to unravel the past. The story constantly switches between two timelines, therefore, there are still some things being revealed from the past. But in the second part, it is strongly driven by plot.
I prefer character-driven stories, thus, I was very engaged by the first part. I don’t like plot-driven stories, thus, I wasn’t as engaged in the second part. Overall, the story is interesting and the prose is enjoyable. It has a smooth transition between the timelines. The historical background of political and social unrest is well-presented. There is a good balance between history and storytelling. The historical aspect doesn’t overwhelm the fiction. I don’t like more than one love story being developed within one book, and here are a few of them.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Argentina, 1973. Santiago Larrera is a law student, when Peron returns to Buenos Aires from his exile in Madrid, and when he also meets Valentina. They have an instant attraction. He is from an elite family and she is from a working-class family. At times, he shifts to doing some things he may not have done previously such as protests.
During the dictatorship, thousands of people were kidnapped, tortured, and assassinated by the Armed Forces. In the present timeline, there are those who have been marginalized, because of their past. They seek justice for the crimes committed to their families.
The first half of the story feels character-driven with mystery surrounding the father. The second half is plot-driven with Palomita trying to unravel the past. The story constantly switches between two timelines, therefore, there are still some things being revealed from the past. But in the second part, it is strongly driven by plot.
I prefer character-driven stories, thus, I was very engaged by the first part. I don’t like plot-driven stories, thus, I wasn’t as engaged in the second part. Overall, the story is interesting and the prose is enjoyable. It has a smooth transition between the timelines. The historical background of political and social unrest is well-presented. There is a good balance between history and storytelling. The historical aspect doesn’t overwhelm the fiction. I don’t like more than one love story being developed within one book, and here are a few of them.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2022
With a dual timeline set in the 1990s and 1970s, On a Night of a Thousand Stars tells the story of the men and women who were forcibly "disappeared" during Argentina's Dirty War. Although the prose was plodding and the characters flat, I appreciated learning more about this brutal era of Argentinian history. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sending me an ARC.
February 27, 2022
This historical fiction novel delves into Argentina's Dirty War which took place in the 1970s and early 1980s. I didn't know too much about the history of the country so the book was an interesting read for me. I thought the dual timelines was an effective way to tell the story. I found it disappointing though, the writing just didn't hit me on much of an emotional level.
The year is 1998 and Paloma is the college-age daughter of Santiago Larrea, a wealthy Argentine diplomat. Paloma grew up in the United States and will travel to Buenos Aires for her father's UN ambassadorial appointment. She is eager to learn more about her dad's life when he was her age but he's never been too forthcoming with information. While she is in Argentina, Paloma meets a university student, Franco Bonetti. He's an activist and part of a group whose members are the children of men and women who disappeared during the Argentine Dirty War. As she digs into her father's past, it might come at a terrible cost.
I don't want to give away too many details about the story but the action goes back and forth between Paloma in 1998 and a few characters in the 1970s including Santiago. I found it easy to keep up as the story managed to flow pretty smoothly. I liked the premise because it allowed the author to give the reader a history of the country in a way that came naturally as the main character, Paloma, was learning much of it for the first time as well. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel much of an attachment to the characters with the exception of maybe one person. The writing fell flat in the area of character development.
I'd recommend this book if you are specifically looking to learn about this period in Argentina's history. If you already know quite a bit about the country, there might not be enough here to hold your interest.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
The year is 1998 and Paloma is the college-age daughter of Santiago Larrea, a wealthy Argentine diplomat. Paloma grew up in the United States and will travel to Buenos Aires for her father's UN ambassadorial appointment. She is eager to learn more about her dad's life when he was her age but he's never been too forthcoming with information. While she is in Argentina, Paloma meets a university student, Franco Bonetti. He's an activist and part of a group whose members are the children of men and women who disappeared during the Argentine Dirty War. As she digs into her father's past, it might come at a terrible cost.
I don't want to give away too many details about the story but the action goes back and forth between Paloma in 1998 and a few characters in the 1970s including Santiago. I found it easy to keep up as the story managed to flow pretty smoothly. I liked the premise because it allowed the author to give the reader a history of the country in a way that came naturally as the main character, Paloma, was learning much of it for the first time as well. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel much of an attachment to the characters with the exception of maybe one person. The writing fell flat in the area of character development.
I'd recommend this book if you are specifically looking to learn about this period in Argentina's history. If you already know quite a bit about the country, there might not be enough here to hold your interest.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
February 15, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction
Paloma is a college student in the US. Her father is a rich Argentinian diplomat. She becomes curious about her mother country and the status of her father back in the 1970s. When the family travels to Argentina she meets Franco there and with his help she decides to find more about her father and his political involvement as well as the romantic one.
The first thing I need to say here is that for a debut novel, On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a well-written book. It is not just a story for entertainment but also very educational about Argentina, especially if you don’t have much background about the country during those times of political instability in which Argentina was under the rule of a dictatorship. The book has two different timelines. One is in 1998 and the other is in the 1970s. The 1998 period is narrated from the perspective of Paloma. The 1970s period is more about her father and the disturbances in the country. It is heavy on politics. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to because of the switching back and forth between the dual timeframes. This at times made things confusing for me especially since several characters appear in both timelines. I’m usually not a big fan of dual timelines in historical fiction. Most of the time I prefer a more linear style of storytelling. If you don’t mind this style of storytelling I think you might enjoy this book.
Many thanks to the publisher Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Paloma is a college student in the US. Her father is a rich Argentinian diplomat. She becomes curious about her mother country and the status of her father back in the 1970s. When the family travels to Argentina she meets Franco there and with his help she decides to find more about her father and his political involvement as well as the romantic one.
The first thing I need to say here is that for a debut novel, On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a well-written book. It is not just a story for entertainment but also very educational about Argentina, especially if you don’t have much background about the country during those times of political instability in which Argentina was under the rule of a dictatorship. The book has two different timelines. One is in 1998 and the other is in the 1970s. The 1998 period is narrated from the perspective of Paloma. The 1970s period is more about her father and the disturbances in the country. It is heavy on politics. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to because of the switching back and forth between the dual timeframes. This at times made things confusing for me especially since several characters appear in both timelines. I’m usually not a big fan of dual timelines in historical fiction. Most of the time I prefer a more linear style of storytelling. If you don’t mind this style of storytelling I think you might enjoy this book.
Many thanks to the publisher Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.
February 17, 2022
Attention and emotion grabbing rollercoaster. Historical fiction with tons of Argentina history that many of us were not taught in school. Like not at all, which is a shame. Anyway, it is a wonderful story that will stick with you. Intense, inspiring...all the feels.
March 15, 2022
There is much to admire about "On a Night of a Thousand Stars." It's an informative summary of Argentina's horrific history of the late 70's and early 80's. Her desire to tell the story of the desaparecidos ("the disappeared") whom the military junta abducted and murdered is heartfelt and inspiring.
All that said, the damn thing reads like a bad romance novel interspersed with Wikipedia articles.
The early 70's Buenos Aires love triangle of Santiago, Valentina and Maximo is a yawn, but it's only the second-dullest subplot in the novel. The real soporific is Santiago's insipid daughter Paloma falling for a human rights activist in the late 90's. And you know wherever the story takes these passionate bores, Ms. Yaryura Clark will provide a few historic details and a short architectural tour. "The House of the Spirits" or "A Long Petal of the Sea," this ain't.
I suppose it's unfair to criticize the author for not being Isabel Allende. Most of us aren't Isabel Allende. But in an afterword, she cites Señora Allende and several other respected authors as influences. However, her writing is so flat and workmanlike that I can only assume she has listened to podcast interviews with George Saunders and Jennifer Egan, and not read their books.
Still, if "On a Night of a Thousand Stars" inspires you to read other books by better writers like, say, Isabel Allende or Roberto Bolaño, it's not a waste.
All that said, the damn thing reads like a bad romance novel interspersed with Wikipedia articles.
The early 70's Buenos Aires love triangle of Santiago, Valentina and Maximo is a yawn, but it's only the second-dullest subplot in the novel. The real soporific is Santiago's insipid daughter Paloma falling for a human rights activist in the late 90's. And you know wherever the story takes these passionate bores, Ms. Yaryura Clark will provide a few historic details and a short architectural tour. "The House of the Spirits" or "A Long Petal of the Sea," this ain't.
I suppose it's unfair to criticize the author for not being Isabel Allende. Most of us aren't Isabel Allende. But in an afterword, she cites Señora Allende and several other respected authors as influences. However, her writing is so flat and workmanlike that I can only assume she has listened to podcast interviews with George Saunders and Jennifer Egan, and not read their books.
Still, if "On a Night of a Thousand Stars" inspires you to read other books by better writers like, say, Isabel Allende or Roberto Bolaño, it's not a waste.
February 26, 2022
Unfortunately, this is story did not work for me. The writing style was fairly basic and formulaic. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, and the fictional plot felt like a series of disjointed sequences. It didn’t help that each chapter was pretty short. I usually love that, but something about the writing style felt stilted. Despite being an involved family drama, I never felt any emotional connection to the characters. Paloma, Santiago, and Valentina were all motivated by love, but the process of falling in love felt very quick, shallow, and circumstantial. I didn’t think their relationships were developed well enough to convince me that they would act the way they did in the story. The fictional characters simply existed as vehicles to convey the disturbing and tragic history.
On the other hand, the history was well-researched and incredibly interesting. It very much overshadows the fictional plot. Juxtaposing the fictional and historical aspects of this story reveals just how superficial the fictional portion was and how skeletal the characters were.
On A Night of a Thousand Stars was melodramatic yet easy to digest. I think that fans of From Sand and Ash or Beneath the Scarlett Sky will adore this, but it was definitely a miss for me.
On the other hand, the history was well-researched and incredibly interesting. It very much overshadows the fictional plot. Juxtaposing the fictional and historical aspects of this story reveals just how superficial the fictional portion was and how skeletal the characters were.
On A Night of a Thousand Stars was melodramatic yet easy to digest. I think that fans of From Sand and Ash or Beneath the Scarlett Sky will adore this, but it was definitely a miss for me.
March 27, 2022
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Silence is Health
Told in dueling time periods, On a Night of a Thousand Stars, imparts the lead up to the 1976 Dirty War in Argentina, the subsequent kidnappings the military junta enacted to wipe out perceived left-wing antagonists, and the fall-out of all this chaos. The story starts off in 1998 with Paloma, the only daughter of Santiago Larrea, an affluent Argentina man that has traveled and lived around the world and is now going to be named the Argentina ambassador to the U.N. While in Argentina for the ambassador ceremony, Paloma overhears an old friend of her father's comment about how brave he was in keeping a secret house to help people escape during 1976. Paloma's father tries to brush off the thanks and never hearing this about her father, Paloma goes off on an investigative journey that leads her down a path she never saw coming.
When Paloma starts off on this path, the dueling chapters come into play and we jump back to 1973 and get her father's pov and a look at the friends and life he is living. The author does, almost, too good of a job teaching readers who know nothing about the political upheaval in Argentina during this time as the first couple 1970s chapters get bogged down with political history; it slowed the pace of the story and put the focus on a history lesson instead of learning and attaching to the characters at the start. I can see some readers revealing in all the historical names and others wanting to check-out.
When we get to the second half of the story, I thought it picked up as the focus became more personal and the 1975-76 chapters show us what is happening to all these characters we have come to care about. As each 1998 chapter shows Paloma starting to ask more questions and investigate and then the preceding chapter shows the reader what those answers are, I got caught up in the emotional storm these characters were going through. The latter second half also makes good on all the beginning talk/explaining of the desaparecidos, the general feeling of chaos and fear in 1970s, the Madres and Abuelas of Plaza de Mayo, and the HIJOs (sons and daughters of the disappeared) as the author gives a more personal look at it all through the eyes of her characters.
I thought there were some moments that felt forced, Paloma going gung-ho to even look into her father's history and the man helping Paloma seemingly convinced of things and pushing/leading her to hunt for answers, but overall, this was a well thought out story. The Argentina Dirty War went from 1976 to 1983 and it's estimated that 9,000 – 30,000 individuals were forcibly disappeared, with estimated 500 babies taken into illicit adoptions. As with fiction stories that deal with real historical events, there's answers, some left questions, reveals that lead to happiness, anger, and sadness but also love enduring, On a Night of Thousand Stars is no different.
Silence is Health
Told in dueling time periods, On a Night of a Thousand Stars, imparts the lead up to the 1976 Dirty War in Argentina, the subsequent kidnappings the military junta enacted to wipe out perceived left-wing antagonists, and the fall-out of all this chaos. The story starts off in 1998 with Paloma, the only daughter of Santiago Larrea, an affluent Argentina man that has traveled and lived around the world and is now going to be named the Argentina ambassador to the U.N. While in Argentina for the ambassador ceremony, Paloma overhears an old friend of her father's comment about how brave he was in keeping a secret house to help people escape during 1976. Paloma's father tries to brush off the thanks and never hearing this about her father, Paloma goes off on an investigative journey that leads her down a path she never saw coming.
When Paloma starts off on this path, the dueling chapters come into play and we jump back to 1973 and get her father's pov and a look at the friends and life he is living. The author does, almost, too good of a job teaching readers who know nothing about the political upheaval in Argentina during this time as the first couple 1970s chapters get bogged down with political history; it slowed the pace of the story and put the focus on a history lesson instead of learning and attaching to the characters at the start. I can see some readers revealing in all the historical names and others wanting to check-out.
When we get to the second half of the story, I thought it picked up as the focus became more personal and the 1975-76 chapters show us what is happening to all these characters we have come to care about. As each 1998 chapter shows Paloma starting to ask more questions and investigate and then the preceding chapter shows the reader what those answers are, I got caught up in the emotional storm these characters were going through. The latter second half also makes good on all the beginning talk/explaining of the desaparecidos, the general feeling of chaos and fear in 1970s, the Madres and Abuelas of Plaza de Mayo, and the HIJOs (sons and daughters of the disappeared) as the author gives a more personal look at it all through the eyes of her characters.
I thought there were some moments that felt forced, Paloma going gung-ho to even look into her father's history and the man helping Paloma seemingly convinced of things and pushing/leading her to hunt for answers, but overall, this was a well thought out story. The Argentina Dirty War went from 1976 to 1983 and it's estimated that 9,000 – 30,000 individuals were forcibly disappeared, with estimated 500 babies taken into illicit adoptions. As with fiction stories that deal with real historical events, there's answers, some left questions, reveals that lead to happiness, anger, and sadness but also love enduring, On a Night of Thousand Stars is no different.
April 18, 2022
5⭐️ 5⭐️ 5⭐️ 5⭐️5⭐️ 5⭐️
I hugged this novel when I finished and said to myself this one is a favorites.
Where do I begin? This was an emotional, moving historical fiction that gave me goosebumps. It’s center was about the dirty war in Argentina. I’m a European American descendant that knew nothing about about this because of my ignorance. It’s told in dual time lines and I was pulled right in. I’m was excited, nervous and scared to face the ending. All the feels, right? As things unfolded in this narrative it just got better and better.
This ended up being deeply moving to me and I want everyone to read the talent this author shared about her ability to tell a great novel. Please don’t miss out on this one.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and it was narrated by Paula Christensen. She did an outstanding job and I highly recommend listening to it.
Please read this novel. It was good.
Thanks Hackett Audio via NetGalley.
I hugged this novel when I finished and said to myself this one is a favorites.
Where do I begin? This was an emotional, moving historical fiction that gave me goosebumps. It’s center was about the dirty war in Argentina. I’m a European American descendant that knew nothing about about this because of my ignorance. It’s told in dual time lines and I was pulled right in. I’m was excited, nervous and scared to face the ending. All the feels, right? As things unfolded in this narrative it just got better and better.
This ended up being deeply moving to me and I want everyone to read the talent this author shared about her ability to tell a great novel. Please don’t miss out on this one.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and it was narrated by Paula Christensen. She did an outstanding job and I highly recommend listening to it.
Please read this novel. It was good.
Thanks Hackett Audio via NetGalley.
February 21, 2022
Some of us are familiar with a snapshot of Argentinian history through the play/movie, Evita. This story focuses on the era of the return of Peron and subsequent military overthrow and takeover of the government in the 1970s and the stories of the desaparecidos, those murdered by right wing terrorists. The story unfolds in two timelines as Paloma, in 1998, visits Argentina and learns of her father’s history there in the late 70s. His early story is told in separate chapters. Dual timelines seems to be a very common device used by writers these days. In this case, I think it worked very well and was not at all confusing.
I thought the story started out a little “fluffy”…but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Beautifully written, the brutality of the era and grief of the families are treated with respect. Romance, intrigue, family secrets, political suppression, man’s inhumanity to man…it’s all here.
In the last four or so years, I’ve read a lot of novels about the atrocities of World War II in various countries, as well as some of the history of Latin American countries such as Chile. I have viewed each of them as cautionary tales for our time. A particular quote cited in the book struck me. It is from Golda Meir: “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
I thought the story started out a little “fluffy”…but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Beautifully written, the brutality of the era and grief of the families are treated with respect. Romance, intrigue, family secrets, political suppression, man’s inhumanity to man…it’s all here.
In the last four or so years, I’ve read a lot of novels about the atrocities of World War II in various countries, as well as some of the history of Latin American countries such as Chile. I have viewed each of them as cautionary tales for our time. A particular quote cited in the book struck me. It is from Golda Meir: “One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
November 2, 2021
What a knockout! When a young woman returns to the country of her birth, Argentina, her life begins to implode. She's been living in USA since she was very young. The 1970's were a horrific time for Argentina. People just disappeared. Forever. A gorgeous story that I will reread over and over again.
March 8, 2022
Rich, informative, and fascinating!
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a vivid, moving tale set in Buenos Aires during the mid-1970s, as well as 1998, that takes you into the lives of the Larrea family whose individual actions, decisions, choices, secrets, and sacrifices made in order to survive and keep their loved ones safe from the random disappearances, kidnappings, torture, and murder experienced during Argentina’s political nightmare led by General Jorge Rafael Videla, known as the Dirty War will have lasting effects and irrevocably change their lives forever.
The prose is perceptive and descriptive. The characters are anguished, steadfast, and multilayered. And the plot using a past-present style unfolds effortlessly into a harrowing tale of life, loss, love, family, friendship, injustice, guilt, grief, secrets, self-identity, ancestry, kindness, war, bravery, and survival.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a hauntingly tragic, insightful, heart-wrenching debut by Clark that highlights the inconceivable horrors, suffering, and events endured during a heinous time in Argentina’s history and reminds us of humanities incredible ability to still be resilient and compassionate to others even when surrounded by barbaric cruelty.
Thank you to HBG Canada & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a vivid, moving tale set in Buenos Aires during the mid-1970s, as well as 1998, that takes you into the lives of the Larrea family whose individual actions, decisions, choices, secrets, and sacrifices made in order to survive and keep their loved ones safe from the random disappearances, kidnappings, torture, and murder experienced during Argentina’s political nightmare led by General Jorge Rafael Videla, known as the Dirty War will have lasting effects and irrevocably change their lives forever.
The prose is perceptive and descriptive. The characters are anguished, steadfast, and multilayered. And the plot using a past-present style unfolds effortlessly into a harrowing tale of life, loss, love, family, friendship, injustice, guilt, grief, secrets, self-identity, ancestry, kindness, war, bravery, and survival.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is a hauntingly tragic, insightful, heart-wrenching debut by Clark that highlights the inconceivable horrors, suffering, and events endured during a heinous time in Argentina’s history and reminds us of humanities incredible ability to still be resilient and compassionate to others even when surrounded by barbaric cruelty.
Thank you to HBG Canada & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 1, 2022
Rating: 4.5
Author: @andreaclarkbooks
Publication Day: 3/1/222
Let’s take a second to first appreciate how beautiful this book is. They did such a fantastic job on this cover. I definitely recommend you purchase the hardcover edition. The dust jacket is absolutely stunning and looks even better in person.
This book was such an emotional story. I knew from the synopsis that I’d be on a ride but wow I wasn’t expecting to feel as much as I did. This story switches back and forth between 1998 following Paloma and 1973 following Santiago Larrera who is Paloma’s dad. The book starts in New York but primarily took place in Argentina. I don’t think I’ve read a book that has taken place in Argentina before but now I need to read more. I loved the setting/descriptions the author gave. I will admit while I did enjoy this story I did prefer the sections that followed Santiago Larrera more than the ones that followed Paloma. I found myself invested more in his sections and had to find out what truly happened long ago. I don’t think Paloma’s sections were bad but I did definitely skim read some of them so I could get back to the other story.
I found the characters to be well written and all had their own personality, traits and flaws. It is easy to judge certain characters for their actions but it is important to try and understand the reasons behind what they did. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I think the topics the author touches on are extremely important and even though they are emotional they definitely need to be mentioned more. I would have never known this was a debut novel because this author writes like she’s written several books. I will definitely be on the lookout for her next novel.
**Thank you so much @grandcentralpub for the #gifted copy in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
Author: @andreaclarkbooks
Publication Day: 3/1/222
Let’s take a second to first appreciate how beautiful this book is. They did such a fantastic job on this cover. I definitely recommend you purchase the hardcover edition. The dust jacket is absolutely stunning and looks even better in person.
This book was such an emotional story. I knew from the synopsis that I’d be on a ride but wow I wasn’t expecting to feel as much as I did. This story switches back and forth between 1998 following Paloma and 1973 following Santiago Larrera who is Paloma’s dad. The book starts in New York but primarily took place in Argentina. I don’t think I’ve read a book that has taken place in Argentina before but now I need to read more. I loved the setting/descriptions the author gave. I will admit while I did enjoy this story I did prefer the sections that followed Santiago Larrera more than the ones that followed Paloma. I found myself invested more in his sections and had to find out what truly happened long ago. I don’t think Paloma’s sections were bad but I did definitely skim read some of them so I could get back to the other story.
I found the characters to be well written and all had their own personality, traits and flaws. It is easy to judge certain characters for their actions but it is important to try and understand the reasons behind what they did. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I think the topics the author touches on are extremely important and even though they are emotional they definitely need to be mentioned more. I would have never known this was a debut novel because this author writes like she’s written several books. I will definitely be on the lookout for her next novel.
**Thank you so much @grandcentralpub for the #gifted copy in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
June 27, 2022
"Bad prose is everywhere, and no impediment to popularity. Most readers don’t mind. I wish I didn’t mind, but I do. No matter how compelling the plot, I struggle to get through schlocky writing." - P.R. Keefe in the NYT
He wasn't reviewing this novel...
but he could have been.
He wasn't reviewing this novel...
but he could have been.
October 11, 2021
A great read!!! A vast insight of the turbulent times in Argentina, which was new to me! I highly recommend this book to all!!!!!
October 1, 2023
This is a tale of two stories. One is of a group of students in Argentina’s “Dirty War” where thousands disappeared during the military dictatorship in the 1970s. The other is of a privileged young college student, Paloma, who returns to her birthplace of Buenos Aires in 1998. It is a story of secrets, family, identity, and discovery of one’s self.
March 18, 2022
This one has dual story lines...one in the 1990's and the other in the mid 1970's. The setting is Argentina and the political unrest in the 70's.
I found the historical side interesting. I liked the MC, Paloma. She was likable and she is probably the reason I rounded up on this one.
This wasn't quite 3 stars. The story unfolded slowly. A deal breaker? No. Now with that said, I didn't find this one gripping. And the ending had me saying, WTF. I didn't get it. If it was deserved then by all means, but it felt needless and gratuitous. I think I just talked myself into 2 stars.
I found the historical side interesting. I liked the MC, Paloma. She was likable and she is probably the reason I rounded up on this one.
This wasn't quite 3 stars. The story unfolded slowly. A deal breaker? No. Now with that said, I didn't find this one gripping. And the ending had me saying, WTF. I didn't get it. If it was deserved then by all means, but it felt needless and gratuitous. I think I just talked myself into 2 stars.
August 16, 2023
Având la bază un eveniment istoric real, “Într-o noapte cu o mie de stele” surprinde povestea lui Santiago și a Valentinei, în Argentina anului 1973, pe când avea loc “Războiul Murdar”, doi tineri care se îndrăgostesc fulger și a căror iubire are un final neașteptat…
25 de ani mai târziu, Palomq, fiica lui Santiago, descoperă o bucățică din trecutul tatălui său, dar întâlnește și un tânăr care dorește să afle ce s-a întâmplat cu rudele sale în timpul “Războiului Murdar”, și se vede prinsă într-o poveste ce ascunde detalii dureroase despre trecut, un trecut ce s-a vrut a fi de mult uitat și lăsat în urmă.
O poveste care a reușit să mă educe puțin despre o perioadă nefastă petrecută în Argentina, n-am avut habar că așa ceva s-a petrecut în acea perioadă, ce e drept, nici nu am mai întâlnit în alte cărți acel eveniment și cumva asta m-a surprins, am aflat ceva nou și totodată, dureros pentru cei care au trăit în acele vremuri.
Ținând cont de subiectul atins, mă așteptam să simt puțin mai multă emoție, să empatizez cu personajele mai mult, doar Valentina a reușit să mă atragă de partea ei, cumva compătimind-o, mi-a lăsat impresia că a fost prinsă între mendrele altora și pentru acest lucru a avut de suferit, chiar mi-a părut rău de ea 🥺. Acțiunile lui Santiago le-am înțeles și nu prea, la fel și-n cazul Palomei. Părerea mea este că autoarea a vrut să redea într-un fel povestea și i-a ieșit cu totul altfel.
Strict personal, mi-ar fi plăcut ca subiectul “dispăruților” să fie mult mai aprofundat și nu tratat doar la suprafață, consider că ar fi avut material cu care să lucreze și chiar aș fi fost câștigată dacă oferea mult mai multe detalii. Așa, s-a limitat strict la povestea de dragoste și la descoperirile Palomei.
Chiar și așa, cu dorințele mele neatinse, m-am bucurat de poveste pentru că a adus un plus cunoștințelor mele, dar mi s-a dezvăluit și o poveste de iubire greu încercată, condamnată de la primii fiori, o poveste unde adevărul este mușamalizat și cei nevinovați suferă fără încetare, dar și despre cum își face puterea jocul, după bunul plac…
25 de ani mai târziu, Palomq, fiica lui Santiago, descoperă o bucățică din trecutul tatălui său, dar întâlnește și un tânăr care dorește să afle ce s-a întâmplat cu rudele sale în timpul “Războiului Murdar”, și se vede prinsă într-o poveste ce ascunde detalii dureroase despre trecut, un trecut ce s-a vrut a fi de mult uitat și lăsat în urmă.
O poveste care a reușit să mă educe puțin despre o perioadă nefastă petrecută în Argentina, n-am avut habar că așa ceva s-a petrecut în acea perioadă, ce e drept, nici nu am mai întâlnit în alte cărți acel eveniment și cumva asta m-a surprins, am aflat ceva nou și totodată, dureros pentru cei care au trăit în acele vremuri.
Ținând cont de subiectul atins, mă așteptam să simt puțin mai multă emoție, să empatizez cu personajele mai mult, doar Valentina a reușit să mă atragă de partea ei, cumva compătimind-o, mi-a lăsat impresia că a fost prinsă între mendrele altora și pentru acest lucru a avut de suferit, chiar mi-a părut rău de ea 🥺. Acțiunile lui Santiago le-am înțeles și nu prea, la fel și-n cazul Palomei. Părerea mea este că autoarea a vrut să redea într-un fel povestea și i-a ieșit cu totul altfel.
Strict personal, mi-ar fi plăcut ca subiectul “dispăruților” să fie mult mai aprofundat și nu tratat doar la suprafață, consider că ar fi avut material cu care să lucreze și chiar aș fi fost câștigată dacă oferea mult mai multe detalii. Așa, s-a limitat strict la povestea de dragoste și la descoperirile Palomei.
Chiar și așa, cu dorințele mele neatinse, m-am bucurat de poveste pentru că a adus un plus cunoștințelor mele, dar mi s-a dezvăluit și o poveste de iubire greu încercată, condamnată de la primii fiori, o poveste unde adevărul este mușamalizat și cei nevinovați suferă fără încetare, dar și despre cum își face puterea jocul, după bunul plac…
September 27, 2021
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark is a historical fiction novel with dual timelines: Argentina in the 1970's and New York in 1990's. The story revolves around Paloma, a college student whose father is a wealthy diplomat from Argentina. The whole family lives in luxury. One day, curious about her father's past, Paloma decides to learn more about his life in the 1970's. When the family travel to Buenos Aires, Paloma meets Franco, an activist who is part of a group whose parents were "disappeared" during Argentina's "Dirty War." Will Paloma learn the truth behind her father's past? Or will the truth be too much for her to handle?
Here is an excerpt from the opening chapter of the book, which is from Paloma's point of view:
"I put on the earrings and steeled myself for the descent. It didn't matter how often I attended one of my parents' events, I was never completely comfortable, and I realized no that I was also no longer really interested. What had once seemed a glamorous and mysterious milieu now felt like an obligation. After one final self-appraisal in the mirror, I made my way down the stairs.
When my parents had bought the beach house some fifteen years ago, my mother had lightened the rooms by installing larger windows and discarding the antique rugs. The large living room with its imposing fireplace now had sliding doors that opened onto a covered veranda...
After greeting a couple of guests in the entrance hall, I whisked myself outside, past the blooming rhododendrons, toward the towering white tent erected on the far side of the lawn."
As you can see from the excerpt above, the prose is beautifully written. The descriptions of Paloma's parents' party are exquisite, and I felt like I was being transported to the world that is being described. Overall, I found the book to be interesting and well-written. The author touched on a variety of topics, such as diplomacy, dictatorship, human rights, tragedy, and family ties to the past. From this book, I learned a lot about Argentina and about historical events that took place there that I had never heard of before. I did take off 1 star, because I don't typically enjoy historical fiction novels. That's not the book's fault. I'm just explaining why it wasn't a 5-star read for me personally. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!
On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark is a historical fiction novel with dual timelines: Argentina in the 1970's and New York in 1990's. The story revolves around Paloma, a college student whose father is a wealthy diplomat from Argentina. The whole family lives in luxury. One day, curious about her father's past, Paloma decides to learn more about his life in the 1970's. When the family travel to Buenos Aires, Paloma meets Franco, an activist who is part of a group whose parents were "disappeared" during Argentina's "Dirty War." Will Paloma learn the truth behind her father's past? Or will the truth be too much for her to handle?
Here is an excerpt from the opening chapter of the book, which is from Paloma's point of view:
"I put on the earrings and steeled myself for the descent. It didn't matter how often I attended one of my parents' events, I was never completely comfortable, and I realized no that I was also no longer really interested. What had once seemed a glamorous and mysterious milieu now felt like an obligation. After one final self-appraisal in the mirror, I made my way down the stairs.
When my parents had bought the beach house some fifteen years ago, my mother had lightened the rooms by installing larger windows and discarding the antique rugs. The large living room with its imposing fireplace now had sliding doors that opened onto a covered veranda...
After greeting a couple of guests in the entrance hall, I whisked myself outside, past the blooming rhododendrons, toward the towering white tent erected on the far side of the lawn."
As you can see from the excerpt above, the prose is beautifully written. The descriptions of Paloma's parents' party are exquisite, and I felt like I was being transported to the world that is being described. Overall, I found the book to be interesting and well-written. The author touched on a variety of topics, such as diplomacy, dictatorship, human rights, tragedy, and family ties to the past. From this book, I learned a lot about Argentina and about historical events that took place there that I had never heard of before. I did take off 1 star, because I don't typically enjoy historical fiction novels. That's not the book's fault. I'm just explaining why it wasn't a 5-star read for me personally. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical fiction, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!
August 2, 2022
I've wanted to write a review of this novel since Mother's Day. Andrea is an absolutely marvelous writer. This novel has depth, texture, fantastic sensory imagery, and heart. So much heart. I cannot recommend it highly enough. She's brilliant.
April 16, 2022
Meh. I was bored. I was super intrigued and excited about this book as I read the description, but I was underwhelmed by the execution. Wanted more!
March 14, 2022
I was fortunate enough to have taken some Latinx Studies courses in college, and in one such class we learned about Argentina's "Dirty War" -- something I had previously known nothing about. It seemed absolutely ludicrous to me that something so heinous had occured so close to home (Argentina is *not* that far from the U.S.) and the majority of Americans have no idea this even happened. Admittedly, not everything I learned in college has stayed with me, but I could never forget what I learned of the atrocities of the Dirty War, the desaparecidos, and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.
So naturally, when this book came out, I *had* to ignore my overflowing TBR piles and read it right away. And it was everything I'd hoped it would be. It is packed full of history and details to help educate the reader, and rich, vibrant characters you can't help but fall in love with. Oh, and the heartache you feel for these fictional characters who represent real people who lived through this. This is my favorite kind of historical fiction -- the kind that puts you right into the lives of those who experienced these very real, very tragic events. ❤️
I can't wait to see what else Varyura Clark has in store!
So naturally, when this book came out, I *had* to ignore my overflowing TBR piles and read it right away. And it was everything I'd hoped it would be. It is packed full of history and details to help educate the reader, and rich, vibrant characters you can't help but fall in love with. Oh, and the heartache you feel for these fictional characters who represent real people who lived through this. This is my favorite kind of historical fiction -- the kind that puts you right into the lives of those who experienced these very real, very tragic events. ❤️
I can't wait to see what else Varyura Clark has in store!
February 17, 2022
From the gorgeous book jacket to the actual hardback copy itself, I was instantly hooked by the cover. The saying is, never judge a book by its cover, but if the golden embossing is any inclination of what's to come this one’s going to be a beautiful read. It has the acclaim of New York Times best-selling authors! For a debut novel that’s exciting to hear. On a night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark releases March 1st. Head over to Amazon pre-order your copy today!
~Tanja
*Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sharing this title with me.
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~Tanja
*Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿Pinterest✿TikTok
May 8, 2022
I've been stewing on this book for a minute. There were parts of it I loved and there were parts of it I loathed.
The alternating chapters did not work for me. It made things choppy. Split the book into parts or make longer chapters. One of those things would have improved the flow.
The chapters that took place in 1970s Argentina didn't always work for me either. There were a lot of information dumps and at times it felt like I was reading a script for a documentary instead of a novel. And Maximo? What was the point? The author never really gives the reader a really good idea of what he was doing at the time.
The 1990s story was better but not without flaws. It was rather predictable. I got to the point where I was just waiting for the plot twist to be revealed so we could move on with other things.
All of that aside, I did enjoy the read but not enough to rate it more than three stars. It gave me a look at a time and place I know next to nothing about. My knowledge begins and ends with Madonna on a balcony.
The alternating chapters did not work for me. It made things choppy. Split the book into parts or make longer chapters. One of those things would have improved the flow.
The chapters that took place in 1970s Argentina didn't always work for me either. There were a lot of information dumps and at times it felt like I was reading a script for a documentary instead of a novel. And Maximo? What was the point? The author never really gives the reader a really good idea of what he was doing at the time.
The 1990s story was better but not without flaws. It was rather predictable. I got to the point where I was just waiting for the plot twist to be revealed so we could move on with other things.
All of that aside, I did enjoy the read but not enough to rate it more than three stars. It gave me a look at a time and place I know next to nothing about. My knowledge begins and ends with Madonna on a balcony.
March 8, 2022
This is a nicely done novel about Argentina's Dirty War. There are two timelines. One takes place before and during the military dictatorship, and the reader meets a group of university students who are more, less or not at all concerned about the political situation. We get to know a very wealthy, kindhearted law student, whose friends are opposed to the military government, and we watch as they suffer and (perhaps) survive. The second timeline takes place in 1998 when the daughter of the law student (herself a young adult) returns with her family to Buenos Aires for a visit. She becomes interested in her father's activity during the dictatorship, and as the novel unfolds, so does her understanding of the activities of her father and his friends during that time. There are some great plot twists. The writing is not extremely special - but it is very decent. However, the setting and the story will pull you in deeply.
March 2, 2022
This book had some beautiful storytelling. The book perspective alternates between two characters and timelines. The story is premised on the social strife and Argentinian political regime of the 1970s. I have to say, I did not know much about this time history other than Madonna's early 90's movie on Evita. It was really eye opening reading some of the struggles Argentine people went through.
Also, it led me down a rabbit hole... Eva Peron's corpse. Google it if you are into creepiness.
Thank you to Grand Central Pub for gifting me this complimentary copy in exchange of an honest review.
Also, it led me down a rabbit hole... Eva Peron's corpse. Google it if you are into creepiness.
Thank you to Grand Central Pub for gifting me this complimentary copy in exchange of an honest review.
May 23, 2022
While it is an interesting subject, the writing feels forced and unrealistic. Everything the characters need to find out falls right into their hands.
March 4, 2022
I love when historical fiction explores a topic I don't know much about but wish I did, and that's exactly what On a Night of a Thousand Stars does.
This dual timeline book follows Santiago and his friends in Argentina in the mid 1970s, when those considered subversive are being killed or disappearing, and it follows his daughter Paloma in the late 90s as she tries to figure out her family's role during that time.
While I admit the book had a bit of a slow start (and could've used some more editing), once it got going, I didn't want to put it down. It's set up so at first we see the privileged life both Paloma and Santiago lead, but then they become more invested in the brutality happening around them.
I thought Clark did a great job of blending explanations about the politics and torture with the stories of the relationships between the characters. I definitely learned as I read this book. Both story lines pick up steam as the story nears its conclusion, with many heart-breaking and difficult scenes. I also appreciate that the ending felt realistic, acknowledging that while there are problems that still continue, there's also hope for the future. 3.75 stars
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing my for my copy of the book!
This dual timeline book follows Santiago and his friends in Argentina in the mid 1970s, when those considered subversive are being killed or disappearing, and it follows his daughter Paloma in the late 90s as she tries to figure out her family's role during that time.
While I admit the book had a bit of a slow start (and could've used some more editing), once it got going, I didn't want to put it down. It's set up so at first we see the privileged life both Paloma and Santiago lead, but then they become more invested in the brutality happening around them.
I thought Clark did a great job of blending explanations about the politics and torture with the stories of the relationships between the characters. I definitely learned as I read this book. Both story lines pick up steam as the story nears its conclusion, with many heart-breaking and difficult scenes. I also appreciate that the ending felt realistic, acknowledging that while there are problems that still continue, there's also hope for the future. 3.75 stars
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing my for my copy of the book!
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