Desire and Its Shadow

by Ana Clavel

Soledad awakes to find herself invisible, standing in the middle of Mexico City. Is she really invisible, or have others just stopped seeing her? Prisoner of her passions--to change identity, to be the object of someone's desire, to disappear--Soledad always ends up with her wishes coming true, but along with their dark, unforeseen side. This novel describes the undercurrents of the mysterious, often cruel streets of downtown Mexico City, where the blind can see, ghosts talk to those who will listen, and shadows both ancient and modern meld together to create this initiation into sex, love and madness.

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Patrick Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was captivated by this story of Lucía Soledad García Maldonado, a young art student and photographer, seeking her place in México City. Set in the mid-1980s, the novel is neither bound nor defined by those times. It radiates with the mythology and the magic, the people, events and realities that made and make México--both the Federal District and the country--unique.

During my own young-adulthood, I lived and studied in México. Similar experience is by no means a prerequisite for appreciating this book, but it does allow me to attest to the author's honesty in relating this moving tale. I thank her for taking me back there, and I look forward to reading more of her novels and stories.